(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Dubai Customs had recently foiled a bid to smuggle about 52 million restricted tablets at the Jebel Ali Port.
According to a senior official, the seizure contained 4.2 million tramadol pills worth around Dh75.6 million in the black market. Saeed Ahmed Al Tayer, Senior Director of Sea Cargo Operations - Jebel Ali, said the tramadol pills weighing around 10Kg were found in a container imported by a food and beverages company here from an Asian country.
"This is the second largest drug haul this year after 91 million tramadol tablets, worth around Dh1 billion, were seized in the second quarter of 2012 from a sea cargo coming from an Asian country to the UAE through Jebel Ali Port."
The Dubai Customs was alerted that tramadol tablets were concealed in the shipment, and hence the container was referred to the X-Ray scanner system. When questioned about the contents, the company representative said the cargo contained only body building food supplements. "The container proved to contain 47.7 million drug tablets of restricted use."
The contraband was seized and the company representative was referred to the Anti-Drugs Department at the Dubai Police General Headquarters for further investigation. "The company, only licensed for trading food stuff and beverages, failed to obtain and submit permission from the Ministry of Health, a necessary procedure for importing such restricted drugs," Al Tayer said.
Tramadol is highly restricted as per the Ministerial Decree No15/2011 concerning the tables attached to the Federal Law No 14 of 1995 (Second Article) regarding the Counter Measures against Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. "This is also a crime of smuggling prohibited goods pursuant to the provisions of Article 5/145 of the Common Customs Law for GCC States.
"Medical reports show that tramadol can cause shortness of breath, skeletal muscles relaxation, comma, convulsions, bradycardia, low blood pressure, heart failure and death," he added.
Warning that Tramadol traffickers mainly target students and youth, Al Tayer said the Dubai Customs has recently launched an awareness campaign about the risks of tramadol, in cooperation with the Health Authority and Dubai Media Incorporated, during the last week of June.
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