Dubai Customs foils bids to smuggle 253 tons of red sandalwood

Dubai Customs has succeeded in efficiently encountering attempts to smuggle red sandalwood, listed as an endangered species and prohibited to trade in under the CITES International Convention and local legislations. 

Jebel Ali Customs Centres Department managed to thwart bids to smuggle 253 tons of red sandalwoods in 13 successive seizures, from 2011 to May of 2013, thanks to the highly competent inspectors and quality of applications and procedures used to detect and foil smuggling attempts.  

Mr Ahmed Abdulla bin Lahej, Director of Jebel Ali Customs Centres Department, said:” In Dubai Customs, our commitment to preserving the natural environment and combating trade in endangered animals and plants listed under ‘‘CITES’’ motivates us to interdict and thwart attempts to smuggle such commodities, in line with our keenness to cease the entry or transit of substances prohibited under international agreements. Dubai will continue to be the destination for a safe trade that doesn’t pose any risks to human health and security, the economy and the environment, or contradicts global measures to protect nature.” 

‘‘Customs inspectors managed to seize the red sandalwood and foil bids to smuggle it, as a result of the extensive training Dubai Customs provides them with for the purpose of enabling them to identify and detect these materials, regardless of how they are concealed. Inspectors are backed by latest technologies that we rely on in our efforts to combat smuggling, most importantly the high-tech inspection devices, such as the x-ray screening device.  In addition, Dubai Customs’ Risk Engine, developed internally at the Department to determine risky shipments that need to be inspected, provides us with comprehensive information that allow us to diagnose shipments beforehand”, Mr bin Lahej added. 

Measures taken to protect the society includes encountering bids to smuggle a wide range of materials. In addition to substances prohibited under CITES, inspection operations foil attempts to smuggle narcotics, drugs used only under medical supervision, counterfeit and IPR infringing products, dual-use materials and biological & chemical substances prohibited under international conventions.   

Bin Lahej believes successful operations carried out by Dubai Customs in thwarting smuggling attempts would discourage smugglers to continue their illegal activity, knowing the hardship in smuggling prohibited materials through Dubai, something that limited smuggling bids thanks to Dubai Customs efforts, being the first defence line of the community’s safety, security and health.