Sharjah Police has dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate operating from Canada to Spain and into the UAE, following a major cross-border operation.
A total of 131 kilograms of narcotics and psychoactive substances and nearly 9,945 capsules of controlled medication were seized, while seven suspects were arrested in the UAE, according to WAM.
Authorities uncovered a drug trafficking route that began at the Port of Toronto in Canada, passed through Malaga in Spain, and ended at a port in the UAE.
They began their investigation after noticing an Arab man, among the arrested, frequently entering the UAE with his wife and children. Surveillance and strategic ambushes led to the discovery of the group’s operations and the arrest of the main suspect and his local contacts.
Police revealed that the primary suspect used his wife and two children as cover for his illegal activities. He admitted to his role in the operation and said he used “geo-location drops,” a method of hiding drugs in specific areas for pickup, to distribute the narcotics.
Five other suspects, all of Asian nationality, were also arrested after evidence showed they were involved in receiving and distributing the drugs. The seized shipment, found hidden in a container filled with car spare parts, was linked to one of the suspects by name.
The suspects are now in the custody of judicial authorities in the UAE.
The Ministry of Interior, working closely with international partners, is continuing efforts to track down other members of the syndicate overseas and is taking legal action to break up the network completely, WAM said.
