Dubai airport inspectors catch woman with 5.7kg of cocaine in luggage

The drug was hidden inside toiletry bottles and the lining of her suitcase

Customs officers at Dubai Airport found drugs hidden inside the lining of a passenger’s suitcase. Photo: Dubai Customs

Customs officials at Dubai International Airport have thwarted a woman’s attempts to smuggle more than five kilograms of cocaine into the emirate.

Inspection staff became suspicious of the traveller, whose journey began in Latin America, and flagged her luggage for an X-ray. The scan showed an unusually dense area at the bottom of the woman’s suitcase.

After being asked for her passport, the woman repeated to the customs officials that she had nothing to declare and her bag was searched.

Inspectors found the inner lining of her bag had a secret pocket in which black plastic packets containing 3.2 kilograms of cocaine were concealed.

Another 2.4 kilograms had been hidden inside shampoo and moisturiser bottles.

“The UAE is a global model to follow in curbing the trafficking of illicit drugs and safeguarding society from their dangers,” said Ibrahim Kamali, director of the Passenger Operations Department.

“Dubai Customs plays a vital role in the country’s efforts to fight narcotics trafficking through its advanced infrastructure and highly trained inspection officers.”

He said that trafficked drugs could be detected in several ways, and that the UAE authorities are increasing their capacity to find and confiscate illegal substances.

“Despite the creative tricks some passengers use to hide prohibited materials, our highly trained inspectors and advanced systems can effectively thwart smuggling attempts,” he said.

Dubai police thwart drug smugglers: in pictures