ABU DHABI: Customs officials seized thousands of illicit items from smugglers in the first quarter of this year, including narcotics, diesel, and tobacco.
Details of the haul and the smuggling of illegal immigrants have been revealed in a Department of Finance report.
From January to March this year, 2,940 smuggling attempts were foiled at air, land and sea border controls, where officials at the General Administration of Customs (GAC) also stopped 35 illegal immigrants from entering Abu Dhabi.
Mohammed Khadim Al Hameli, acting director-general of the General Administration of Customs said developing security systems, procedures and training was a top priority.
“Customs officials play an important role in fostering security and safety as well as preventing any violation of the law, which negatively affects the local community and the economy,” he said
Abu Dhabi Customs foiled 637 drug smuggling attempts and seized 42.35kg of banned drugs and 3,444 narcotic pills. Most were found at the airport.
Seized narcotics included 1,590 tramadol tablets from an Asian country hidden in a box in passenger’s luggage, while 1.45 of cocaine was found in a passenger’s luggage on a flight from a Latin American country.
