During an international sting operation, the Dubai Police and law enforcement agencies of Spain, France and Colombia lately dissembled a transnational organised crime syndicate that was involved in drug (cocaine) trafficking and smuggling in freights of sugar from South America to Europe.
The operation took place on May 5 and was called as ‘Canne à Sucre’, a code name for the operation, when a member of the Dubai Police caught a vital member of the criminal syndicate in a simultaneous series of raids in the Spain, France and Colombia.
His detention resulted in the arrest of 18 criminals and the confiscation of 22 tons of sugar mixed with cocaine smuggled from Colombia via the Port of Le Havre in France.
Stéphanie Cherbonnier, Inspector General and Director of Anti-Narcotics in France (Ofast) commended the Dubai police for their professionalism and swift movement in arresting the criminals.
He stated, “The General Department of Anti-Narcotics at Dubai Police played an outstanding role in analysing and capturing the criminal.”
He further added, “The real-time exchange of security intelligence between the law enforcement agencies of Spain, France, Colombia and Dubai contributed towards the operation’s success.”
The Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, said that the operation ‘Canne à Sucre’ is another accomplishment of the beneficial cooperation between the Dubai Police as well as the international law enforcement agencies in assuring the world’s security and safety and tackling international organised crime.
Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, said the Op ‘Canne à Sucre’ is one of another achievement of the fruitful cooperation between Dubai Police and international law enforcement agencies in assuring the world’s security and safety and tackling international organised crime.
Lt Gen Al Marri ascribed the operation’s success to continuous support and the country’s brilliant leadership.
The director of the General Department for Anti-narcotics, Brigadier Eid Muhammad Hareb, said that it all initiated in June 2021, when the French officials investigated some agencies that caused misappropriations during the time of COVID-19. The investigators then noted that those companies and the identities of their managers were faked to repress their illegal activities and plans of smuggling drugs into Europe via freights of contaminated sugar from Columbia.
He further added, “After thorough monitoring, ten criminals were captured in France, six were put in detention; seven others were in Spain, and one in Dubai.”
Brigadier bin Thani verified that nearly 22 tonnes of sugar packed in 900 bags were captured in Thiais after the cargo was offloaded at the dock of Le Havre in France.