Dubai Customs Foils Bid to Smuggle Jewellery and Luxury Watches in DXB Terminal 3

The Dubai Customs inspectors nabbed a passenger who was trying to smuggle 76 luxury wristwatches and 6 items of jewellery studded with diamonds worth around AED 3,016,000 in total.

The suspect is a European national arriving on board a Dubai-bound flight from an East Asian country. He was stopped by Customs officers at terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, carrying the haul of fancy jewellery and watches strapped around his body under his clothes.    

Inspectors of Passenger Operations Department became suspicious about the man’s behavior and carefully monitored him till he arrived at the customs zone. He was then x-rayed with a full-body scanner only to find smuggled jewellery and watches skillfully concealed under his dress.

As seizure report was initiated on the smuggling case and the suspect was referred to the competent authorities together with the seized items to take legal action.  

The suspect was bidding to illegally import the precious items into the country while evading payment of customs duty. But the method he used proved to be a failure in front of the intact inspection and security system of Dubai Customs.  

Ibrahim Kamali, director of passenger operations at Dubai Customs, said his staff were alert to any such smuggling attempts and ready to tackle anyone suspected.

“The seizure is a case of smuggling and duty evasion which our inspectors are always vigilant and adept to abort so as to protect customs revenues and Dubai’s economy,” said Kamali.

“Some people believe this technique of smuggling dutiable, must-be-declared goods in commercial quantities inside their clothes to avoid paying customs fees. But Dubai airports are equipped with highly developed scanning technology that detect any objects in people’s bodies.”

No matter how crafty the methods used by smugglers, they will not get past Dubai Customs’ technology, professionalism and body language expertise, he said.