Dubai customs seize 7kg of marijuana concealed in breakfast cereal packaging

Airport officials noticed irregularities when inspecting the traveller's bags

Dubai customs seize 7kg of marijuana concealed in breakfast cereal

Dubai Customs have stopped an Asian passenger smuggling just over 7 kilograms of marijuana through the airport.

Officials seized 7.06kg of the drug which was concealed in bags of a well known breakfast cereal.

The passenger was arrested and handed over to the General Directorate of Anti-Narcotics at Dubai Police.

The value of the drugs was not disclosed.

Khaled Ahmed, senior manager of the Passenger Operations Department at Terminal 1, said irregularities were discovered during an inspection of the bags, potentially indicating the presence of prohibited materials.

He said smugglers use various tactics to conceal drugs, including body packing, hiding them in cosmetic products, integrating them into the sides and bottoms of bags, blending them with clothing items, camouflaging them in food packaging and assorted spice packets, and even concealing them in seasonal fruits.

Ibrahim Kamali, director of the Passengers Operations Department at Dubai Customs, said inspectors attend training programmes to “refine their scientific and practical skills, enabling them to efficiently detect drug smuggling attempts.”

“Our inspectors combine advanced capabilities in drug detection, utilising sophisticated inspection devices at Dubai's border crossings, along with their exceptional expertise in interpreting individuals' body language to identify drug trafficking attempts,” he added.