(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police have foiled an attempt to smuggle 8kg of narcotic crystals in an operation named 'black tourism', with international cooperation.
A total of six suspects were arrested in Dubai, Madrid in Spain and Tokyo, in relation with the smuggling bid, said Major-General Abdul Jalil Mahdi, Director of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police.
Cooperation among the anti-drug authorities in the UAE, Madrid and Tokyo helped the operation, Mahdi said, adding that his department had received appreciation letters from the authorities in Madrid and Tokyo for the information passed by it to them on July 6 regarding the smuggling bid. The operation in Dubai was conducted in coordination with the Sharjah Police and the Anti-Narcotics Department at the Ministry of Interior.
Two of the suspects were arrested in Tokyo with 4kg of methamphetamine crystals and two others were arrested in Dubai in possession of the same quantity of the drug. Two other suspects were arrested in Madrid, said Mahdi.
He said that four of the suspects reached Dubai, posing as tourists from a European country, in two groups and the Dubai Police received information that they will be smuggling large quantity of drugs from Dubai to an unknown destination. The police launched a search, and within a limited time, managed to identify two of the suspects, who lived in a hotel in Dubai.
The police put the suspects under surveillance so that the other members of the gang could be identified later. Both the groups met in a hotel room in Al Rafaa, said Maj.-Gen. Mahdi. Two suspects, including a man and a woman, went to the Dubai International Airport to travel to Tokyo and the police allowed them to leave, but only after passing information to the competent authorities in Japan. This was aimed at allowing Japanese authorities to arrest them and find out the rest of the gang members in Japan.
Later, the Dubai Police received a letter of thanks from Tokyo through the Ministry of Interior, noting that the information enabled the Japanese authorities to arrest European suspects J.A.B. and M.A.M for possession of 4kg of the contraband. The letter also revealed that search is ongoing for other suspects in Japan.
The Dubai Police have arrested the second group after raiding their hotel room while they were planning to return to the European country from where they reached Dubai. The police seized 4kg of drugs from them.
Maj.-Gen. Abdul Jalil Mahdi said that the suspects confessed that they received 8kg of crystal meth from an Asian national who left Dubai a few days ago. They divided the drug between them and the first group took its share to Japan. Both the suspects were referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution.
Maj.-Gen. Mahdi expressed thanks to Lt.-Gen. Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Lt.-Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for the support being given to the police for drug operations.
He urged the public to be cautious against the spread of drug among the children and to pass on any information related to drugs to the Dubai Police at toll-free number 800400400 or via e-mail dpan@dubaipolice.gov.ae,
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