Abu Dhabi: 4.5 million drug pills worth Dh500 million seized

October 31, 2014

Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi, Oct 31: In one of the largest drug hauls in the country, anti-narcotic officers have busted a gang of four persons and seized 4.5 million narcotic pills worth more than Dh500 million from Al Ain and Dubai in a joint operation code-named ‘Wooden Doors’.

Colonel Dr Rashid Mohammad Borshid, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, said the suspects, three Arabs and a Gulf national, were planning to smuggle them into another country.

Intelligence forwarded by Kuwaiti authorities to the Anti-Narcotics Federal Department at the UAE Ministry of Interior contributed to seizing the shipment smuggled into the country through an airport from an Arab country in the Middle East.

“Subsequent and immediate investigations indicated that the narcotic pills were shipped to one of the suspects. They were stashed in a professional and innovative way in 108 transverse sections of 36 wooden door frames,” explained Colonel Borshid.

The officers managed to arrest two Arab suspects from Al Ain and an Arab and a Gulf national from Dubai, following a well-planned joint operation by the ministry, Abu Dhabi and Dubai police forces.

Colonel Sultan Suwayeh Al Darmaki, Chief of the Anti-Drug Section at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Abu Dhabi Police, who was the field commander, said the first suspect, a 32-year old truck driver, identified as A.A.A, received the drug shipment through an export/import office in one of the emirates. The drugs were concealed in the unassembled transverse sections of 36 wooden door frames.

“A.A.A, accompanied by the second suspect, a 36-year-old truck driver identified as F.N.A, transferred a big number of door frames from a warehouse to a house in Al Shabia neighbourhood in Al Ain City. This prompted the police team to place both the warehouse and the residence under surveillance.

“When we sensed that the drugs are being sorted, we raided the house. We caught the suspects red handed as they were dismantling the door frames, recovering the concealed pills and placing them in travel bags.”

The seized shipment consisted of three travel bags filled with pills. “We also confiscated 60 transverse sections of 20 doors where the drugs were stashed. The team also raided the warehouse, where we found 48 transverse sections of 16 doors, containing the drugs stashed in the same manner. A total of 16 travel bags filled with narcotic pills were confiscated in the operation.”

During interrogation, the two suspects revealed the identity of their accomplices — an Arab citizen living abroad and running the operation and the third suspect, also an Arab, who was supposed to receive the drug shipment in Dubai. “The team laid a trap and contacted the third accomplice through the arrested suspects. A delivery date was agreed upon.”

In coordination with the General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police, the third suspect, a 26-year-old investor identified as A.M.Kh, was arrested while receiving the shipment in the parking lot of an amusement park. He had another accomplice, 36-year-old GCC national identified as Kh.M.A who was also arrested. During interrogation, both confessed to being involved and having another 11,750 narcotic pills hidden in a location in Dubai. The drugs were confiscated and interrogation of all suspects is still going on.

Colonel Borshid reiterated his call to members of the public to not hesitate to report any suspicious activities and to cooperate with the anti-drugs units, which will take all necessary measures in accordance with the UAE laws that guarantee the protection of the public from any legal accountability as a result of their cooperation.

Local and international drug trafficking is a major security concern for anti-narcotic authorities and requires concerted efforts and close coordination.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Jeddah, Jul 31: Hajj 2020 pilgrims arrived in Muzdalifah Thursday night to rest after spending the day in Arafat.

Earlier, the pilgrims scaled Mount Arafat to pray and repent, as a highly unusual Hajj approached its climax. They listened to a sermon delivered by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manea and prayed Dhuhr and Asr prayers together at the Al-Namirah Mosque in Arafat.

This year’s pilgrimage is the smallest in modern times, after the number of participants was greatly restricted to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

Tight security was in place around the foot of the rocky hill outside Makkah, also known as Jabal Al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, in preparation for the high point of the annual ritual.

Video footage shown on state television showed the pilgrims setting off on their climb to the summit. They wore face masks and observed strict social-distancing rules imposed by Saudi authorities.As sprinklers sprayed water on them to provide relief from the summer desert heat, the pilgrims raised their palms as they climbed the slopes of the hill — the site of Prophet Muhammad’s last sermon. When they reached the top they recited holy verses and prayed for forgiveness for their sins.

Earlier, the pilgrims were taken in buses from Mina to Mount Arafat. Strict precautionary measures were in place, with each group accompanied by security teams, ambulances and civil defense vehicles. 

When they arrived, their temperatures were checked before they entered Namirah Mosque to hear a sermon that was translated into 10 languages.

“The camps were set up for pilgrims in Arafat early on,” said Minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Salih Bentin. The sermon at Namirah Mosque was delivered by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manea, who led the pilgrims in noon and afternoon prayers.

“During Hajj this year, we reiterate that it is essential for pilgrims, as well as everyone assisting them, to adhere to the precautionary regulations that have been implemented,” Al-Manea, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, said during his sermon. “This is to be done for their own safety.

“Precautions have been put in place to protect lives against the damage that the pandemic can cause, and also to actualize Islam’s teachings pertaining to safeguarding human life by Allah’s permission.”

The stay in Arafat is described as the pinnacle of Hajj and Muslims around the world reflect the actions of pilgrims by asking for forgiveness and praying for their deepest desires.
Pilgrims left Arafat in coaches for Muzdalifah after sunset and will pray the Maghrib and Isha prayers there.

After sunset prayers, the pilgrims made their way down Mount Arafat to Muzdalifah, where they will spend the night before the final Hajj ritual, the symbolic stoning of the devil. 

This year, each pilgrim received sanitized pebbles in advance of the event on Friday, which is the first day of Eid Al-Adha.
This year the Kingdom faced the unprecedented challenge of ensuring pilgrims attending Hajj were protected as much as possible from the risks of the coronavirus.

They will then sleep, pray the Fajr prayer there tomorrow and then leave for Mina.

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Agencies
May 26,2020

Dubai, May 26: An Indian expat, who recently recovered from COVID-19, fell to his death from a building in Dubai, police said.

The 26-year-old Indian national identified as Neelath Muhammed Firdous from Kerala, fell from the seventh floor balcony of his building where he stayed with six others including his uncle, Naushad Ali, 33.

A Dubai Police official confirmed the incident to Gulf News on Monday and said it had been a suicide.

"He was suffering from a mental disorder and there is no criminal suspicions behind his death," said the official.

"The incident happened on Sunday," the official confirmed.

The victim's relative said: "(He) awoke early to perform prayers and everyone was getting on with their daily morning chores when he walked to the balcony and jumped.

"He was suffering from a mental disorder and had been disturbed for some time. He thought everyone was out to attack him and had stopped eating his food as he thought people were feeding him poison. He was refusing to even take water from us."

The victim had tested positive for COVID-19 on April 10. On May 7, he was discharged from a Dubai hospital after clearing all tests.

The relative told Gulf News that he had registered the victim in the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) last month in order to repatriate him, however he was unsuccessful in procuring a ticket.

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News Network
April 11,2020

Dubai, Apr 11: Saudi Arabia has reported another 382 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,033, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.

The ministry also confirmed five more deaths from the virus, pushing the death toll in Kingdom to 52.

A total of 35 people has made full recovery from the deadly disease, taking the tally of patients recovered to 720.

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