Dubai Customs Cements Its Global Leadership in Combating Narcotics and Protecting Society

Dubai Customs continues its efforts to combat narcotics as one of its strategic priorities, stemming from its national responsibility to protect society, secure the border outlets, and preserve the emirate's standing as a global hub for legitimate trade and safe investment, through an advanced security vision that combines artificial intelligence, modern technologies, human competencies, and local and international partnerships.

The role of Dubai Customs is no longer confined to seizing narcotic substances at the outlets; it has transformed into an integrated proactive system for monitoring risks, analysing data, tracking criminal networks, and thwarting cross-border smuggling operations, in a manner that reinforces national security and contributes to protecting global stability.

In this regard, His Excellency Abdullah bin Damithan, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, affirmed that what Dubai Customs has achieved in combating drug smuggling embodies the vision of the wise leadership, which has made Dubai a global model in security and a leading destination for legitimate trade and safe investment, through an integrated system that balances protecting society and enhancing the smooth flow of trade.

He explained that Dubai has cemented its status as a city of security and stability, and that maintaining this standing requires continuous development of the customs system, investment in national competencies, and the employment of the latest smart technologies to protect the border outlets and counter the various cross-border threats, in line with the emirate's aspirations towards a more secure and sustainable future.

He pointed out that the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation continues to work on enhancing integration among the various entities, and developing advanced regulatory capabilities that contribute to protecting society, safeguarding the national economy, and ensuring the safety of supply chains, in a manner that enhances the confidence of investors and trade partners from around the world.

His Excellency added that Dubai Customs performs a pivotal role in protecting the State's borders from smuggling attempts, through a proactive system that relies on risk analysis, innovation, and cooperation with partners locally and internationally, affirming that its success in thwarting drug-smuggling attempts reflects the efficiency of its security system, and enhances Dubai's standing as a global hub for safe trade and a leading model in protecting people and the economy, stemming from a firm belief that security represents the fundamental pillar of development and prosperity.

The results of the first five months of 2026 reflect the scale of the efforts exerted by Dubai Customs in combating narcotics, after the customs inspection and targeting teams succeeded in carrying out 502 seizures, which resulted in seizing 406 kilograms of narcotic substances, and thwarting the smuggling of 2.3 million narcotic pills before they reached the markets.

During the month of January alone, the customs teams managed to carry out 107 seizures, and seized 116.3 kilograms of narcotic substances and more than 1.2 million narcotic pills, while February witnessed the carrying out of 89 seizures and the seizure of 79.2 kilograms and 213 thousand pills, whereas March recorded 57 seizures that resulted in seizing 30.3 kilograms and 727 thousand pills, and in April the number of seizures rose to 115 seizures with the seizure of 109.3 kilograms and 61.9 thousand pills, while May recorded 74 seizures and the seizure of 71 kilograms and more than 115 thousand pills.

These results reflect the efficiency of the customs system in confronting the changing challenges and the newly devised smuggling methods, and the continuation of the pace of work around the clock to protect society and the economy.

The total seizures of narcotic substances and psychotropic substances during 2025 amounted to nearly 1185 seizures, which confirms the continuity of the regulatory efforts and the ongoing development of the security system.

His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Busenad, Director General of Dubai Customs, affirmed that every drug shipment seized before its entry into the State does not represent merely a security achievement, but means protecting thousands of families from disintegration, saving young people from falling into addiction, and preserving economic resources. From this standpoint, Dubai Customs continues to invest in innovation, technology and human resources, develop its security systems, and strengthen its partnerships with the various entities, in the belief that protecting society begins with protecting the outlets, and that security is the foundation upon which sustainable development and economic prosperity are built.

On the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Dubai Customs renews its commitment to continue working in accordance with the highest international standards, to cement Dubai's standing as an international model in protecting people, safeguarding the economy, securing legitimate trade, and enhancing security and stability at the national and global levels.

His Excellency said: “Within the framework of its efforts to combat transnational organized crime, Dubai Customs has been able to assist many customs administrations around the world in thwarting drug-smuggling attempts, which has enhanced Dubai's standing as a trusted partner in the global security system.”

His Excellency affirmed that confronting narcotics is a shared responsibility that requires the integration of efforts among the security and customs entities locally, regionally and internationally, and that international cooperation represents one of the most important elements of success in curbing the activities of transnational criminal networks.

For his part, Mohammed Al Ghaffari, Executive Director of the Customs Inspection Sector at Dubai Customs, affirmed that enhancing the security system at the customs outlets represents a strategic priority for Dubai Customs, in light of the development of smuggling methods and attempts to circumvent customs procedures, affirming that security readiness does not rely on devices and modern technologies alone, but on the customs inspector's ability to employ his field experience and security instinct in reading indicators, analysing risks, and making decisions.

He said that the continuous training programmes for customs inspectors aim to entrench a culture of security vigilance, and to enhance the skills of dealing with shipments, travellers and means of transport in accordance with the highest professional standards, pointing out that the customs inspector constitutes the first line of defence in protecting society and supporting the security of the outlets and the supply chains.

He explained that Dubai Customs believes that human competence remains the cornerstone of the security system, therefore it continues to implement training programmes and specialised workshops for customs inspectors, develop their skills in using the latest examination devices, and raise their capabilities in analysing behaviours, reading body language, and detecting newly devised methods of concealment, affirming that combining human experience with advanced technology is what grants the ability to achieve the highest rates of accuracy and efficiency.

Among the most prominent seizures during the past year 2025, in the “Black Tank” operation, Dubai Customs managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle 147.4 kilograms of narcotic substances coming from an Asian country via sea freight, after it had been concealed in a professional manner inside a tank specially prepared for this purpose.

In the “Ampoules” operation, it succeeded in seizing 102 kilograms of the narcotic substance nalbuphine coming from an Asian country via air freight, after carrying out a precise surveillance operation that ended with thwarting the smuggling attempt; these operations affirm the readiness of its teams and their ability to keep pace with the continuous development in organized-crime methods.

Dubai Customs explained that the success of the seizure operations relies on an advanced risk-analysis system that uses artificial intelligence techniques and big-data analysis, whereby the risk engine studies millions of data items relating to shipments, and analyses the indicators and links them with intelligence information, to identify high-risk shipments before they reach the inspection stage.

The “Siyaj” system represents one of the most prominent smart security initiatives developed by Dubai Customs to monitor the customs outlets, as it relies on an integrated structure that employs artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, environmentally friendly electric vehicles, and sophisticated devices for detecting prohibited and dangerous substances, alongside the human element that works around the clock, supported by the customs canine unit (K9).

The “Shahen” project embodies Dubai Customs' orientation towards employing smart solutions in developing customs work, through supporting inspection operations and managing the movement of shipments with higher efficiency, in a manner that contributes to raising the level of oversight over goods and accelerating the customs clearance procedures for low-risk shipments, while focusing resources on the shipments that call for further examination and analysis.

The project also enhances the electronic sealing system for shipments, in a manner that ensures the integrity of the customs seals, raises the level of reliability of transporting goods across the various outlets, and reduces the chances of tampering with shipments or manipulating their contents during the stages of transport and storage, which enhances the efficiency of customs oversight and preserves the security and safety of the supply chain.

Source: Emirates News Agency — WAM