Seven tons of tobacco seized across three air cargo facilities
Dubai Customs has foiled an international smuggling attempt involving more than 70 million illicit cigarettes destined for a European country, in a major operation highlighting its role in protecting cross-border trade and international supply chains.
Risk indicators and intelligence-led targeting enabled Dubai Customs teams to identify nine export shipments containing nearly seven tons of tobacco. The shipments were routed through three air cargo facilities in Dubai.
The team at the Air Cargo Centers Management intercepted the shipments in three separate operations after identifying indicators that warranted further scrutiny and inspection. The actual contents did not match the information declared in the shipping documents.
Clothing
The shipments had been declared as ‘clothing’, but were found to contain 360,500 cartons of cigarettes, totaling more than 70mn illicit cigarettes.
The successful operations demonstrated the accuracy of Dubai Customs’ targeting capabilities and the efficiency of its teams in analyzing data and connecting information. The teams were able to identify links between shipments associated with the same importer, despite the shipments passing through three different air cargo facilities.
Efficiency
Abdulla Ahmad Alblooshi, Director, Air Cargo Centers Management, Dubai Customs, said the seizures demonstrate the level of efficiency and readiness achieved by the department’s targeting and inspection teams in responding to evolving methods of illicit trade.
“It starts with information, accurately interpreting risk indicators, connecting them and anticipating risks before a shipment completes its journey,” he remarked.
He added that the Management’s highly capable inspection teams recorded 182 seizures during the first three months of this year, including 161 security-related seizures and 21 customs seizures, a press statement concluded.
