More than 41,000 items seized at Dubai airports

Liquids, lighters, needles and scissors were among the belongings taken from passengers

Dubai Police have launched a summer campaign to speed up airport security queues. Reuters

More than 41,000 items were confiscated from passengers flying into and out of Dubai airports in just two months last year, new figures have revealed.

Officials said liquids, lighters, needles and scissors were among the belongings removed from travellers’ hand luggage.

Dubai Police released the statistics as part of a summer campaign aimed at speeding up the time it takes for passengers to clear airport security.

They said a better understanding of the items that are not permitted would reduce the number of passenger checks and prevent delays.

“Carrying such items disturbs the flow through our airports,” said Brig Mohammad Ahmad bin Dylan, of Dubai Police’s airport security.

“We receive 10 million travellers at Dubai airports each month, which increases during the holidays.”

Dubai emirate has two airports including Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum Airport. The 41,000 items were confiscated during July and August last year.

The Dubai Police campaign – called “Let Your Travel Be Fun” – will run until the end of August.

It will specifically target travellers from Pakistan, India, the Philippines and Bangladesh.

“These nationalities were chosen because the majority of travellers caught carrying prohibited items are from these countries,” said a police spokesman.

“Dubai has 1.9 million Indian residents, 700,000 Pakistani residents and 233,000 Bangladeshi residents,” said Lt Col Fahad Al Zarouni, consulate affairs officer at Dubai Police. “We coordinated with their consulates to deliver our message.”