'Prolific' drug trafficker arrested

A man described as the country’s most prolific drug trafficker has been arrested, according to Dubai Police.

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DUBAI // A man described as the country’s most prolific drug trafficker has been arrested, according to Dubai Police.

The 30-year-old Emirati man was arrested on October 2 after police observed him collecting large amounts of narcotic pills in Ras al Khaimah then hiding them in different spots in the desert.

“We have had this suspect on our radar for many years, but he is a very cautious trafficker who is difficult to crack down on. But this time was different,” said Major General Abdul al Jalil Mahdi, the head of the anti narcotic department at Dubai Police.

The suspect, A A, was arrested in his home in Nad al Hammar then was taken with police to dig out the pills. In total, police confiscated more than 15,000 pills with a street value of more than Dh153,000.

AA has had cases filed against him since 2002, but has never been convicted.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to find everything he had hidden, but hopefully we have enough strong evidence to convict him,” said Maj Gen Mahdi.

In a separate incident in Ras Al Khaimah, a tip-off from Abu Dhabi Police led to the arrest of a Bangladeshi man accused of trafficking 96kg of cannabis.

The Abu Dhabi resident allegedly smuggled the narcotics across the Gulf in a boat, said RAK Police.

"We received information from AD Police that he had brought drugs into our country and caught him in RAK after a one-week investigation," said Major Marwan al Mansoori, the head of RAK Public Relations. "We believe he was planning to sell it in the UAE."

The anti-narcotics department arrested him when he was caught driving in RAK with the narcotics in his car.

He confessed during interrogation and said he worked with two other men who live outside the UAE.

The case has been forwarded to public prosecution.

Lt Col Muhammad al Shehhi, the head of the anti narcotics department, has advised his unit to take precautions and implement extra monitoring at RAK ports.

He also praised the cooperation between Abu Dhabi and RAK Police departments, saying: "Through coordination and cooperation, the police work with one hand to promote the path of peace and security in all its forms."


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