Sharjah Airport thwarts gold smuggling plot

Hessa Al Shehhi, Staff Reporter

Sharjah Airport Police thwarted the smuggling of 1.6kg of gold, valued at about Dhs312,000. The perpetrators were arrested while attempting to smuggle the gold through Sharjah airport.

Details of the case date back to an earlier time when airport policemen suspected two Asians at the baggage checkpoint at Sharjah International Airport, trying to smuggle perfume bottles in a box as materials and essential perfumed oils.

Sources said the smugglers filled 42 perfume bottles with gold powder after mixing it with chemicals and wrapped them in a perfect manner.

Sources notified the Criminal Investigation Department of Sharjah Police, to follow up the incident and uncover any other details related to the gang.

A specialised team was formed and discovered that two other suspects were involved and accordingly, a tight trap was prepared, to arrest them.

On being interrogated, they confessed they had bought pure gold powder and mixed it with other materials until it appeared to be a fragrant liquid.

Then they gave it to the first and second suspects to smuggle it out of the country, in return for money.

In July, Dubai Customs thwarted smuggling of 1.3kg of crystal meth by a passenger who flew into the country.  An Asian passenger thought he could easily smuggle narcotics into Dubai with the resumption of flights after a period of lockdown due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The passenger assumed the streamlined procedures taken by the airport inspection officers to facilitate passenger traffic would compromise security.

Dubai Customs inspection officers suspected the passenger due to his nervy behaviour.

Therefore, leading to his suitcase was thoroughly inspected.

Over 1.3kg of meth concealed in the inner lining of his suitcase was found.

“The smuggling attempt was successfully thwarted and the passenger was handed over to the General Directorate for Drug Control at Dubai Police following the protocols of joint work and cooperation between Dubai Customs and Dubai Police,” said Ibrahim Kamali, Director of Passenger Operations Department.

“This passenger thought he could get away with his crime assuming that control and security procedures will not be that tight at the period which sees the resumption of flights and lifting of the lockdown.” 

Dubai Customs uses the best inspectors and the latest technologies to thwart any smuggling attempt to the country and protect the society from the hazards of these illegitimate goods.