Tech savvy Customs make big drug hauls

Manama 

The latest technologies and the expertise have helped Bahrain’s Customs Affairs bust a large number of smuggling attempts in the recent past. In 2014, they thwarted 695 attempted cases of smuggling drugs, while a further 259 seizures were made in the first three months of this year. 

“This is mainly due to extremely advanced surveillance and detection equipment as well as the professionally-trained officers and men,” Customs Affairs President Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa was quoted as saying by the Interior Ministry’s publication Al Alm.

“Customs Affairs has evolved significantly in recent years. Especially after the implementation of e-clearance process, we have modernised ourselves on par with the best in the world,” he said. 

Recounting an incident at the Customs, Shaikh Khalifa said that the Customs officers at the Bahrain International Airport seized a large quantity of drugs from an old woman, who had traveled from Pakistan. “It turned out later that she was not even aware of what she was carrying. 

The contraband was planted on her by some other people, who had been also on the same flight. We detected the suspicious activity through CCTV cameras and followed the woman and some men, who were following her to the parking lot where they were apprehended,” he revealed.