ABU DHABI: Authorities in the UAE said they foiled an attempt to smuggle 200,000 captagon pills and more than 30 kilograms of other narcotics into the country, in an operation that dismantled an international trafficking network involving 20 people.

Participating agencies included the National Drug Enforcement Authority, police forces in Ras Al-Khaimah, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, and Iraq’s General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs, along with judicial coordination from the UAE Public Prosecution, the Emirates News Agency reported.

The operation dismantled an international trafficking network involving 20 suspects, according to UAE officials. (Supplied/WAM)
The operation dismantled an international trafficking network involving 20 suspects, according to UAE officials. (Supplied/WAM)

In addition to the captagon pills, the seized drugs reportedly included cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, marijuana, hashish and synthetic cannabinoids, also known as Spice.

The smuggling network had planned to transport the drugs into the UAE through a border area in Ras Al-Khaimah and then distribute them across the country, authorities said. However, agencies in the UAE and Iraq shared intelligence that uncovered the plot, and security teams launched a coordinated operation that resulted in the arrest of several suspects as they attempted to enter the country. The remaining members of the gang were detained in separate swoops across the UAE. The 20 suspects were of Gulf, Arab, African and Asian nationalities, the news agency reported.

The National Drug Enforcement Authority said the success of the operation dealt a blow to cross-border drug trafficking networks and highlighted the importance of intelligence-sharing and security cooperation with regional partners.

It urged the public to report any suspicious activities, and said cooperation between communities and law-enforcement agencies was essential for efforts to protect society from the dangers of drugs.