On Tuesday last week, following a sting operation that lasted several months, Dubai Police busted three international drug gangs and seized a total of 52 kilos of heroin, cocaine, and hashish.
According to an official statement issued by Dubai Police, the city's Anti-Narcotic Department arrested the drug dealers in different areas of the Emirate when they were caught in the act.
"Officers did an outstanding effort to nab members of the three drug gangs and seized 52 kilos of drugs. Some operations lasted for several months. The suspects were targeting the public to spread their poison," said Major General Abdullah Al Merri, the Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police.
WATCH: Dubai Police seize 52 kilos of heroin, cocaine, and hashish
In total, >according to The National, nine men were arrested in two separate drug busts and an undisclosed number of suspects were held by Dubai Police in a third location that was raided during the undercover operations.
At the first location, 13 kilos of cocaine were seized. The drug dealers and smugglers were from different nationalities and one gang was using shipping routes from Dubai in order to transport drugs to a large geographic region from South America to Asia and Africa.
"They were dealing with drugs and distributed the narcotics throughout many countries in Asia, Africa, and South America. They took advantage of Dubai's sea routes to the world," said Major General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs at Dubai Police.
At a second location, members of an Asian gang were arrested while trying to smuggle 14.4 kilos of heroin in a dhow. The perpetrators were arrested in Al Qusais and Dubai Marina.
"It was a sting operation and the suspects were arrested while collecting money from clients. The ringleader is a Gulf national who smuggled 24.4 kilos of hashish from a neighboring country in cooperation with an Asian drug dealer," Major General Al Mansouri added.
All three cases were referred to officials at the office of Dubai's Public Prosecution.