Dubai, March 25: The Dubai Police have foiled an attempt to smuggle a big shipment of arms from Turkey to Yemen’s northern province of Saada.
Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police Lt-General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim said that 16,000 pistols were seized from a warehouse on March 9. Six Arab suspects, all of whom residents in Dubai, were arrested during the raid, while two suspects were picked up in Turkey and Yemen.
Investigations showed that the suspects included Erfan, the owner of the factory where guns were made, and Faeq, who was responsible for organising the shipment of guns from Turkey. Other suspects included Hamid, who demanded the original stopover port in the Gulf to be changed.
Dhahi told a Press conference on Thursday that the pistols were hidden behind boxes of furniture wrapped in plastic. The weapons are worth Dh16 million and the police chief said it was the largest such seizure in the region.
The shipment originated in Turkey and passed through an Egyptian port before reaching Dubai, the police chief said. “The guns were heading to Saada, we can’t say to which side, but definitely not to the government,” he said.
Yemen’s government forces are battling rebels in northern Yemen. “The man who allegedly placed the order for the guns in Yemen had asked them to change the route, but the cargo company could not comply, so they chose to ship them to Dubai and then re-export it to Saada city,” Dhahi said.
The Turkish-made guns were brand-fake, Dhahi clarified, adding that arms traders were exploiting conflicts in some countries to make profits.
The General Department of State Security in Dubai received information that the purchaser of the weapons first planned to ship the guns from Turkey to a port in another Gulf country. The plans were later changed with the help of the suspects in Dubai, who redirected the shipment. They then hid it in the warehouse.
Dhahi showed photographs of the shipment, concealed in cases in a container of furniture from Turkey.
Dhahi called on customs officials in all UAE entries to be more careful by checking all consignments to prevent smuggling of arms which may be used for unrest in countries. He said that the people in Yemen needed more bread and not arms of such large quantity.
He hailed the remarkable performance of the Dubai Police personnel in deterring the arms
shipment. “We are proud of the high level of proficiency shown by various divisions under the Dubai Police department. This achievement is another vivid example of our unequivocal commitment to uproot crime in all its forms,” Dhahi added.
The Dubai Police said an investigation was underway in close coordination with police authorities in Turkey, Yemen, Egypt and other Gulf countries in this case.
“We shall not allow any criminal element to use our territory to carry out illegal and criminal plots that posed threat to peace and security of any country,” Dhahi said.
Protest not permitted
The police chief also said any form of protest was not permitted in the country. ‘‘Here in the UAE, we do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. There is no room for conflict that may cause unrest and disturb peace and order . Those who want to express their point of view should buy a ticket and fly to their country to express their demands. Their protests here have no effect.’
–Agencies–