More than 28 tonnes of banned tobacco has been seized by Dubai customs officers.
It had been hidden in 375 bags on a truck from an Asian country.
About 28.3 tonnes of naswar, a chewing tobacco, was recovered by inspectors at Jebel Ali Customs Centre.
The Asian truck driver parked between containers at the free zone and tried to load the stash into an empty container, according to Ahmed Mahboob Musbah, executive director of Dubai Customs Relations Management.
Naswar has been banned by GCC countries because it is detrimental to health and the environment.
It contains tobacco, chemical narcotic substances, ash and leaves from South East Asia.
Naswar has been found to cause mouth cancer, contagious mouth ulcers and stained teeth.
Users are prone to depression, lethargy and struggle to pay attention.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
