UAE busts cross-border drug gang, seizes Dh3.3 million haul in joint operation

The National Anti-Narcotics Authority has dismantled a cross-border drug trafficking network in a month-long joint operation with Dubai and Sharjah police and authorities in Bahrain.

Officials said 13 suspects of Asian and African nationalities were arrested, while the alleged ringleader, an Asian national operating from outside the UAE, was detained abroad in coordination with Bahraini authorities and brought to the country to face justice.

Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.

The agency said the operation followed extensive surveillance and field monitoring, which revealed that the group was receiving instructions from the ringleader to distribute narcotics across multiple locations in the UAE.

Authorities seized 56.6 kilograms of narcotic substances, 8,159 psychotropic tablets and a large quantity of electronic cigarettes filled with hashish oil, with a combined value estimated at around Dh3.3 million.

The authority said the operation forms part of a broader national strategy to dismantle drug supply networks, including those run from outside the country, and to enhance community safety.

It added that regional and international cooperation remains key to tackling cross-border organised crime and bringing those involved to justice.