UAE authorities have foiled 14 attempts to smuggle narcotics through airport transit areas across the country, seizing more than 300 kilograms of drugs in under two months, according to a joint report from the National Anti-Narcotics Agency and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.
The operations led to the arrest of several smugglers of European and Asian nationalities. Intelligence on suspicious consignments and travel routes was shared with UAE authorities before the shipments arrived in the country, allowing inspection teams to place them under surveillance from their points of origin.
UAE Customs said the country’s ports deploy advanced screening technologies capable of detecting concealed substances within baggage and transit consignments without manual inspection in many cases. The agency said these systems have reduced inspection times while improving detection rates against sophisticated concealment techniques.
The National Anti-Narcotics Agency said the UAE applies data analytics to identify irregular patterns across large volumes of flight, passenger, and shipment data. That capability allows authorities to flag high-risk consignments early and concentrate inspection resources accordingly.
The joint report described the operations as reflecting an integrated approach combining field expertise at ports of entry, technical detection tools, and coordinated international intelligence sharing. Both agencies said the effort forms part of a broader national strategy to prevent the UAE’s transit infrastructure from being used as a conduit for drug trafficking.
