logo
UAE: 3.5m Captagon pills worth Dh19m seized in major police operation

UAE: 3.5m Captagon pills worth Dh19m seized in major police operation

Al Etihad15-06-2025

15 June 2025 21:32
SHARJAH (ALETIHAD)In a high-level operation named "Bottom of Darkness," Sharjah Police, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Police and the Federal Anti-Narcotics Department at the Ministry of Interior, successfully foiled a major attempt to distribute over 3.5 million Captagon pills.The operation, which targeted a drug trafficking gang aiming to reach young people, was the result of extensive surveillance and strategic preemptive action.According to Brigadier Majid Sultan Al Asam, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department at Sharjah Police, the seized drugs weighed approximately 585 kilograms, with an estimated street value exceeding Dh19 million.
The gang had hidden the pills underground and concealed them using interlocking artificial flooring to evade detection. However, advanced analytical work led to the discovery of the stash and the arrest of the perpetrators.
في عملية مشتركة أطلق عليها "قاع الظلام"
3 ملايين و500 ألف قرص كبتاجون في قبضة شرطة الشارقة بقيمة تجاوزت 19 مليون درهمhttps://t.co/zayBvhIIo3 pic.twitter.com/u8K8zj2lww — شرطة الشارقة (@ShjPolice) June 15, 2025
Brigadier Al Asam emphasised the innovative smuggling methods used by the gang and noted the increasing use of social media platforms by traffickers to reach vulnerable youth. He credited the success of the operation to the professionalism and vigilance of the police, supported by cutting-edge technologies and integrated cooperation between national anti-narcotics agencies.The Anti-Narcotics Department shared details of the gang's smuggling method with other law enforcement agencies across the UAE to strengthen the country's federal drug control system. Al Asam highlighted the need to stay ahead of evolving criminal tactics, especially as smugglers continue to aggressively target young populations.Brigadier Al Asam called on the community to play an active role in combating drug trafficking by reporting suspicious activities. He stressed that public vigilance and family awareness form the first line of defence against addiction. Reports can be made via the toll-free number 8004654 or email dea@shjpolice.gov.ae.
He concluded by expressing gratitude to the Federal Anti-Narcotics General Directorate and the Abu Dhabi Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate for their critical role in the operation and ongoing commitment to safeguarding society.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Warning on depositing money into unknown accounts
Warning on depositing money into unknown accounts

Gulf Today

timea day ago

  • Gulf Today

Warning on depositing money into unknown accounts

In the UAE, depositing money into bank accounts of unknown or unidentified individuals is considered a behaviour that may lead to legal accountability, especially if the recipient account is later found to be linked to organised crimes such as money laundering, terrorist financing, or drug trafficking. Several cases have occurred where individuals were prevented from making bank transfers due to suspicions about the nature of the recipient accounts. Investigations revealed that some depositors acted on requests from strangers without realising the severity of their actions. Lawyer Badr Abdullah Khamees emphasised that anyone transferring or depositing money must verify its source, its legality, the recipient, and the purpose of the transaction. He warned that transferring money to unknown individuals, especially via ATMs under the pretext of them not having ID cards, is a risky behaviour. The person using their identity for such deposits bears legal responsibility, even if they are unaware of the beneficiary. The funds could be part of drug trafficking, terrorist financing, or other crimes. Khamees affirmed that article (2) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Law states that anyone who transfers, moves, or uses funds knowing they are proceeds of crime, with the intent to conceal or disguise their origin, is committing a money laundering offense. Khamees added that Article 22 of the law imposes penalties of 1 to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine ranging from Dhs100,000 to Dhs5 million, or either of these penalties. Legal Consultant Dr. Ali Musbeh stressed that even unintentional assistance in depositing funds can place the individual under legal scrutiny, regardless of their intent. Dr Musbeh highlighted that Federal Law No. 20 of 2018 confirms that merely moving or depositing funds from an illicit source, with knowledge of their origin, constitutes a money laundering crime and courts have previously convicted individuals who transferred funds at the request of friends or acquaintances without questioning the source or purpose, only to discover the accounts were linked to money laundering networks. Legal Consultant Mohammed Hussein noted that this phenomenon is on the rise, with some individuals exploiting others' sympathy outside exchange offices, claiming they cannot deposit the money themselves. He warned that simply depositing funds into a suspicious account, even without prior knowledge, could lead to accusation and potential punishment unless the individual can prove they were a victim of fraud or had no malicious intent.

South Korea detains 6 Americans trying to send cash, rice to North Korea
South Korea detains 6 Americans trying to send cash, rice to North Korea

Dubai Eye

time2 days ago

  • Dubai Eye

South Korea detains 6 Americans trying to send cash, rice to North Korea

South Korean police have detained six US citizens who were attempting to deliver around 1,300 plastic bottles filled with rice and dollar notes to North Korea, a police official said on Friday. The group had been trying to float the bottles by sea at a border island west of the capital Seoul near the isolated North before being spotted by a military patrol, the official at the Incheon Ganghwa Police Station told Reuters. The six are suspected of violating the country's disasters and safety act through their actions in an area recently designated as a "risk zone" which prohibits activities deemed harmful to residents, the official said. "We're investigating them through an interpreter and will decide after 48 hours whether to release them or not," the official said. Since taking office earlier in June, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged to improve relations with neighbouring North Korea after a spike in tensions between the neighbours. Lee has suspended anti-North Korea loudspeaker broadcasts on the border and asked activists in the South launching helium balloons carrying leaflets criticising the authoritarian state's leaders to stop in a bid to prevent inflaming ties. Chung Dong-young, who has been nominated as South Korea's unification minister, said on Wednesday that the leaflet-laden balloons acted as "a catalyst for confrontation and hostilities" between the two Koreas, expressing hopes to rebuild communications with the North. The activists, often defectors who have fled North Korea, also sometimes try to send USB sticks loaded with South Korean TV dramas in plastic bottles by sea. North Korea has described the activists as "human scum" and retaliated last year by launching trash-filled balloons into the South and blaring anti-Seoul broadcasts along the border. Complaints by residents that the actions of activists put them at risk have led some border areas in South Korea including Ganghwa island to be designated "risk zones" since late last year, enabling authorities to step up monitoring of balloon launches and other anti-North Korea campaigns.

South Korea detains 6 Americans trying to send cash, rice to North Korea
South Korea detains 6 Americans trying to send cash, rice to North Korea

ARN News Center

time2 days ago

  • ARN News Center

South Korea detains 6 Americans trying to send cash, rice to North Korea

South Korean police have detained six US citizens who were attempting to deliver around 1,300 plastic bottles filled with rice and dollar notes to North Korea, a police official said on Friday. The group had been trying to float the bottles by sea at a border island west of the capital Seoul near the isolated North before being spotted by a military patrol, the official at the Incheon Ganghwa Police Station told Reuters. The six are suspected of violating the country's disasters and safety act through their actions in an area recently designated as a "risk zone" which prohibits activities deemed harmful to residents, the official said. "We're investigating them through an interpreter and will decide after 48 hours whether to release them or not," the official said. Since taking office earlier in June, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged to improve relations with neighbouring North Korea after a spike in tensions between the neighbours. Lee has suspended anti-North Korea loudspeaker broadcasts on the border and asked activists in the South launching helium balloons carrying leaflets criticising the authoritarian state's leaders to stop in a bid to prevent inflaming ties. Chung Dong-young, who has been nominated as South Korea's unification minister, said on Wednesday that the leaflet-laden balloons acted as "a catalyst for confrontation and hostilities" between the two Koreas, expressing hopes to rebuild communications with the North. The activists, often defectors who have fled North Korea, also sometimes try to send USB sticks loaded with South Korean TV dramas in plastic bottles by sea. North Korea has described the activists as "human scum" and retaliated last year by launching trash-filled balloons into the South and blaring anti-Seoul broadcasts along the border. Complaints by residents that the actions of activists put them at risk have led some border areas in South Korea including Ganghwa island to be designated "risk zones" since late last year, enabling authorities to step up monitoring of balloon launches and other anti-North Korea campaigns.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store