Dubai Customs seizes 3 mln Captagon pills at Jebel Ali Port
March 15, 2021, 10:39 am

Dubai Customs seizes 3 mln Captagon pills at Jebel Ali Port

Dubai Customs has seized nearly three million captagon pills. (WAM)

Dubai Customs has seized nearly three million captagon pills, which is the largest so far this year and foiled a major attempt to smuggle them into the United Arab Emirates, reported Emirates News Agency WAM.

“Inspection officers of the Sea Customs center Management at Jebel Ali Port thwarted the illegal shipment thanks to coordination between different sections coupled with the use of the best technologies,” WAM added.

“Within our efforts at the Sea Customs centers to live up to the expectations of the (Safe Homeland) campaign, we have made many seizures to contribute to a safer trade and protect society from the hazards of amphetamines,” said Yousef al-Hashimi, Director of Sea Customs centers Management, according to the statement released by WAM.

al-Hashimi added that the inspection officers are equipped with the most advanced devices, tools and systems including radioactivity scanners and the K9 unit, which helps tightening the noose on drug traffickers and prevent drugs from entering the borders.

Al Hashimi confirmed the centers are well prepared and work at full capacity despite the challenges posed by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Captagon, a brand name for the amphetamine drug fenethylline hydrochloride, was originally marketed as a treatment for conditions such as narcolepsy, depression and hyperactivity, but has been banned in most countries since the 1980s.

source: Rawad Taha

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.