Dubai – 20 November 2022: Dubai Customs made a bizarre seizure at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 1 when a passenger coming from an African country was arrested for smuggling marijuana, where he hid them skillfully inside pineapples fruits. 

Khalid Ahmed, (Acting) Director of Passenger Operations Department said this type of seizure reflects the efficiency of the advanced systems in place as well as our inspectors’ remarkable experience, which prevent all legal attempts to smuggle narcotics into the country. 
“Protecting our society from the dangers of drugs is at the forefront of our inspectors’ priorities, being the first line of defense for the security of our borders and ports.” 

The inspectors suspected the cardboard box carrying pineapple fruit, which was on a flight coming from an African country famous for cultivating this type of fruit. They tracked the box and at the inspection area, they asked the passenger, who looked confused, about carrying any prohibited materials, but he replied in the negative. 

The box was scanned to reveal pineapples with black plastic bags inside them that contained 399 marijuana weed rolls that weighed 417.30 grams. 
Later, the passenger was searched manually and scanned for body packing but nothing more was found. Accordingly, he was handed over to the General Department of Anti Narcotic in Dubai Police. 

Khalid Ahmed said smugglers sometimes send small amounts of drugs in the first attempt, and if their attempt succeeds, they would try to send bigger quantities. 
“Dubai Customs is very alert to these miserable attempts, and works hard to protect society by preventing the entry of narcotic substances. Smugglers try to circumvent customs inspectors through body stuffing or hiding their contrabands inside cosmetics and personal care boxes, or in the linings of their bags. Despite the growing number of passengers in Dubai, especially at this period with the advent of the world cup in Qatar and the lovely winter season in the UAE, there are stringent plans and programs to curb any illegitimate smuggling attempts. Thanks to the vigilance and distinctive experience of our inspectors and the advanced scanning systems in place including the Smart Bag Inspection system at Dubai Airports, we can efficiently curb any illegitimate smuggling attempt.”