Cocaine in naan bread... How Dubai Customs broke it

[Al Bhatti]

May 02, 2015

Cocaine in naan bread... How Dubai Customs broke it
Passenger had concealed cocaine inside bread

Why was the popular sub-continental naan bread the centre of attention at the world’s busiest airport?

"The way one Asian passenger concealed his cocaine was definitely unique," said Hassan Ibrahim, Senior Inspections Officer at Dubai Customs.

Speaking to Emirates 24|7, Hassan explained how a passenger’s recent attempt at smuggling six grams of cocaine (with traces of heroin) was brought to a halt by Dubai Customs at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3.

It began when his sharp-eyed team of inspectors was immediately drawn to the suspect as he arrived in Dubai. "An Asian national arriving at Terminal 3 gave off some strong signs through his body language, so our inspectors stopped him and pulled him aside for a closer look at his luggage."

Screening his belongings through an X-Ray machine revealed one of his suitcases filled with clothes, while the other one was packed with only food. But that’s not what initially triggered the doubts. Hassan explained: "Certain passengers are well-known for packing up a lot of food items, and they usually bring parcels from friends and family members to send over to others."

So inspectors proceeded to manually check all the food items, and thoroughly searched the luggage contents. After going through the entire bag, the last item was wrapped-up naan bread.

Hassan explained: "When our inspectors asked him what it was, the passenger said he didn’t know, and some guy from his country gave it to him to deliver it here in the UAE." But the highly-experienced and vigilant inspectors were not convinced, and strongly felt the urge to have an even closer look.

The naan bread was placed under the scanners – where it revealed a package hidden inside. "I don’t think that the passenger expected us to check the inner part of the naan," said Hassan.

Once the team opened up the bread and placed in a drug detection machine, they discovered it contained 100 per cent cocaine, with traces of heroin.

The drugs were placed inside it and sealed up, something the Dubai Customs team is used to seeing with other food items.

"We had some cases in the past where drugs were hidden inside frozen chickens, in place of kidney and liver," said Hassan.

The Senior Inspections Officer added the he and his expert team are aware that not everything is as what it appears to be. "Here you are dealing with your experience, gut instinct and heightened sense of security. So no matter what, we have to perform our jobs diligently, until we’re satisfied that you are not carrying anything illegal or harmful to our country and endanger our society."

Working in the world’s busiest airport surely comes with some unexpected surprises, however, the highly skilled and alert inspectors and their sophisticated detection methods at Dubai Customs constantly thwarts numerous attempts by passengers trying to smuggle in illegal and harmful items.

Cocaine in naan bread... How Dubai Customs broke it - Emirates 24|7

 

[Dubious]

Damn!!!

So inspectors proceeded to manually check all the food items, and thoroughly searched the luggage contents.

The naan bread was placed under the scanners – where it revealed a package hidden inside. "I don’t think that the passenger expected us to check the inner part of the naan," said Hassan.

"We had some cases in the past where drugs were hidden inside frozen chickens, in place of kidney and liver," said Hassan.

 

[indiatester]

Hope the punishment is not death.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Amateur

Weird X-ray: 123 cocaine-filled condoms found in stomach | Metro News

 

[Al Bhatti]

Damn!!!

This is in Dubai where they have the latest mobile labs in the airport and latest scanners, and Customs officials and staff regularly go through different trainings etc.. to keep pace with the "innovative" minds of the smugglers. No Customs or Law Enforcement Agency in any country can stop smuggling 100% no matter how well trained or equipped they are.

Now you just imagine what goes through Pakistani sea ports and airports.

 

[Indus Falcon]

I'm just praying it's NOT an afghani or irani on a Pakistani passport!! Or a Pakistani for that matter.

 

[Jaanbaz]

I'm just praying it's NOT an afghani or irani on a Pakistani passport!! Or a Pakistani for that matter.

If they are non Arabs then they are doomed.

 

[Al Bhatti]

@Akheilos

Dubai Airport Customs have a similar mobile lab being used for some time solely for analyzing whether a substance contains narcotics or not, and it gives results in less than 2-3 minutes if I remember correctly.

The below is a mobile Customs lab with more features.

Dubai airports also have large golf carts converted to ambulances for use inside the airports.

Don't forget to read the CCTV part

-----------------------------



May 4, 2015

Al Kashif also analyses medicines in just seven minutes instead of seven days taken earlier for the same job.

Smart device to catch drug smugglers in Dubai
Dubai Customs uses Al Kashif that has 16 gadgets to detect narcotics, explosives and other materials

A modified golf cart is now being used by Dubai Customs to foil drug smuggling attempts.
The cart, named ‘Al Kashif’, is equipped with 16 devices, making it capable of detecting various narcotics, inflammable and radioactive materials, and explosives. The eco-friendly golf buggy can also analyse medication samples in seven minutes.

Al Kashif, which is the first of its kind around the world, contains a security camera, monitor, wireless devices, fire extinguisher, iPad, a document verification device, Ion scan, helmet, and a cage for a Customs dog. It may be used as a mobile power generator for seven hours. It may also be used for external inspection by simply adding a solar panel, making it 100 per cent eco-friendly. Similar devices are planned to be used in all the airports and border customs centres of the emirate.

The cart, which is already being put to use at Dubai Terminal 3, was developed by Dubai Customs Senior Inspector Mohammad Al Khanjari.

“Through my extensive experience dealing with numerous cases at the airport, and knowing the ins and outs of customs work, I came up with an idea that developed into Al Kashif vehicle. Inspired by the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who always calls for development of government services, I wanted to expedite customs procedures in order to ease customs formalities for passengers. I wanted something to reach passengers where they are.

“Not only does Al Kashif detect narcotics, explosives and radioactive items,” Al Khanjari said, “but it also analyses any medicine in just seven minutes instead of seven days as was the case before. It also verifies the authenticity of travel documents.”

He said, “I wanted a multi-purpose inspections device to reach passengers where they are.”

Al Khanjari said that earlier, if passengers were held with suspicious medications, they would be referred to the Health Ministry for analysis, a process that took four to seven days. “With Al Kashif available, the cart can do everything in just seven minutes. That definitely benefits passengers, cuts their waiting time, and allows them to take home their medications — particularly those with chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.”

Recently, Dubai Customs foiled a heroin smuggling operation at Dubai Airport’s Terminal 3 using Al Kashif. Authorities arrested the Asian man, who had hid 9.2kg of heroin in the lining of his suitcase.

Al Khanjari said Dubai Customs first has to deem a traveller as suspicious before deploying Al Kashif to analyse belongings.

“We have a state-of-the-art CCTV at the airport, which can zoom in to the point we are able to see a text message a suspicious person is writing or a name in the passport he is holding,” he said, “The control room often directs an undercover team to follow or watch a suspicious passenger to investigate further. When we find something fishy in a person’s luggage, we deploy Al Kashif.”

Al Khanjari said the Customs team still relies on old-fashioned instincts in their mission to secure the country’s borders.

“We go through intensive training in discerning a person’s intentions through body language,” he said, “it plays a crucial part in the job. Passengers’ facial expressions, eyes, body movement and the way they dress can all alert officers to any suspicious activities. There is no alternative to good old-fashioned instinct.”

Al Khanjari noted that people with illegal items are never in a rush to leave the airport, he said they always take more time than needed to get out in order to throw off officials.

He said: “We sit and observe passengers, and if we get suspicious we might put someone under surveillance for hours. We have a disguise room and we keep changing our clothes during the shift so we are not discovered. I once followed a passenger in Terminal 3 for nine hours until I made sure what he was up to. He was attempting to smuggle watches into the country.”

Al Khanjari said a common tactic used by smugglers, or those with fake documents, is to pretend to be preoccupied with children. He said that they pretend to be busy with children as soon as they come to the inspection area.

“In some instances,” he said, “passengers who are caught smuggling miss their flights purposely, and hang around the airport for several hours before trying to get out of the country.”

Smart device to catch drug smugglers in Dubai | GulfNews.com

 

[Zarvan]

Arabs are getting good at catching these drug guys