Dubai Police busted an international drug lord concerned with drug smuggling and trafficking, basically Cocaine, across South America and Europe. The international operation to capture the drug kingpin was held in cooperation between Dubai Police as well as police agencies in Spain, France and Colombia.
As per the Dubai Police, 17 other accused have been captured from different countries, and 22 tonnes of Cocaine that was contaminated with sugar was seized from a ship arriving from Colombia to France.
According to the Commander-In-Chief of Dubai Police, Lt General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, the operation named as ‘Sugar Cane’ was a significant success after the detention of the main accused, identified as M.D.
Lt Gen Al Marri said, “He was a major member in one of the largest international organised [crime] gangs. They were smuggling Cocaine between South America and Europe in sugar vessels, apart from running labs in Europe to separate the sugar from the Cocaine.”
He further added, “Dubai Police are playing a crucial role in battling drug trafficking globally and developing the bonds between the United Arab Emirates and other countries in combating organised crimes.”
Information was being continuously exchanged between Dubai Police and police agencies in France to make a zero hour to capture the suspects.
According to the Director of the Anti-Narcotic Department in Dubai Police, Brigadier Eid Mohammed Hareb, the preparation for the operation was initiated one year ago as the gang established fake commercial and shipping companies to function between South America and Europe during the time of COVID-19.
Brig Hareb stated that the gang was shipping food via the Port of Le Havre in France, but customs and Police authorities in France found the food in containers that were mixed with Cocaine. The containers from Colombia to France and Spain were under supervision until the zero hours of the Sugar operation at 4 am on May 5, this year.
Brig Hareb stated that the French authorities captured ten accused from Paris, Cannes, Lyon and Meudon. One of the accused was a chemical expert in separating the sugar from Cocaine.
Other seven suspects were captured from Barcelona and Madrid, including a chemical expert as well as the deputy of the gang leader, while Dubai Police arrested the drug king.
He further added, “Around 22 tonnes of sugar combined with drugs was held in the joint operation. Between 3 to 15% drugs were mixed with sugar in the 900 seized bags.”
The operation also disclosed that the gang was behind smuggling 12 tonnes of tobacco to Belgium during August 2021.
“They made an attempt that was not fulfilled to smuggle 600kg of Cocaine in September 2021 in Colombia.”
Dubai Police disclosed that the gang was also involved in money laundering millions of euros.