DOHA: The General Authority of Customs (GAC) has foiled four separate attempts to smuggle a total of 22.6kg of the illicit drug marijuana into Qatar during the past few days.
The first attempt was foiled when the customs officer in charge at Hamad International Airport (HIA) doubted the conduct of an Asian traveller. The officer ordered a full search of his bags, which resulted in the seizure of 6kg of marijuana.
The second incident saw 7kg of marijuana being recovered from the baggage of another traveller. In the third incident, also at the HIA, 3.8kg of the drug was recovered from a traveller coming from an Asian country.
The fourth attempt was foiled at the Air Cargo, when the officer in charge doubted a package from an African country. When the designated person came to receive his cargo, he was asked whether it belonged to him and what it contained.
He said that it contained medicinal herbs, but when opened and searched thoroughly, an amount of 3.8kg of marijuana was found.
The four involved persons were arrested and referred to the security department concerned. GAC president Ahmed bin Ali al-Muhannadi thanked the three customs officers at HIA and the officer at the Air Cargo for their alertness in spotting such illegal items that pose serious risks to the society. He also honoured them and presented them with certificates of appreciation.
