VIDEO: Sharjah Police dismantle international drug gang operating between Canada and Spain

The General Command of the Sharjah Police successfully dismantled an international criminal network involved in the smuggling and peddling of narcotic substances. This operation was conducted across a broad geographical area, extending from Toronto to Spain, and encompassing the entire coastline of the country.

The security operation was characterised by its precision and thoroughness, leading to the seizure of a substantial quantity of narcotics and psychotropic substances. The total weight of the seized contraband amounted to 131 kilograms.

In addition to these seizures, the operation resulted in the arrest of seven suspects within the country's borders. Notably, one of the suspects, an individual of Arab nationality, had been exploiting his spouse and two children as a means of concealing his involvement in the smuggling activities, the MoI said.

The case commenced with the monitoring of an Arab suspect who had frequently visited the country with his family. His movements and organised meetings with local people were meticulously monitored, and the subsequent investigation revealed the network and led to the arrest of its members in precise ambushes carried out by anti-narcotics teams.

According to the Ministry of Interior’s statement, the suspect admitted to playing a pivotal role in the smuggling of the shipment, working in cooperation with his wife to use the 'coordinated locations' method to conceal and distribute the narcotics.

As the investigation progressed, five additional suspects of Asian nationalities were caught and subsequently convicted of involvement in the same network's operations involving the reception, promotion, and peddling of narcotics. Information also led to the discovery of a maritime smuggling route linking the port of Toronto in Canada to the port of Malaga in Spain, all the way to one of the country's ports. A recently arrived shipment was intercepted within a container loaded with automotive spare parts, which had been concealed with the intention of smuggling the goods under the name of one of the suspects.

The total amount of items seized included 131 kilograms of narcotic and psychotropic substances and 9,945 capsules of narcotic drugs.

Furthermore, a number of tools and techniques that were utilised in the domains of promotion and location identification had been also seized.

The suspects have been referred to the relevant judicial authorities.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior, in conjunction with its counterparts in multiple nations, persists in its pursuit of the remaining network members beyond the territorial borders, while concurrently undertaking legal measures to finalise the dismantling of its international branches.