Dubai Customs foils smuggling attempt of over 70 million illicit cigarettes bound for Europe, intercepting nine air cargo shipments using intelligence-led targeting and advanced risk analysis
Dubai Customs has foiled an international smuggling attempt involving more than 70 million illicit cigarettes destined for a European country, highlighting its role in protecting cross-border trade and international supply chains.
Risk indicators and intelligence-led targeting enabled Dubai Customs teams to identify nine export shipments containing nearly seven tonnes of tobacco routed through three air cargo facilities in Dubai.
Teams from the Air Cargo Centers Management intercepted the shipments in three separate operations after identifying indicators requiring further inspection. The shipments had been declared as clothing, but were found to contain 360,500 cartons of cigarettes, totalling more than 70 million illicit cigarettes.
Dubai Customs said the operations demonstrated the accuracy of its targeting capabilities and the efficiency of its teams in analysing data and linking information. Investigators established connections between shipments associated with the same importer despite their movement through three different air cargo facilities.
The targeting team continued analysing common indicators after the first shipment was identified and determined that all nine shipments were linked to the same importer, allowing them to be treated as interconnected cases rather than isolated incidents.
The approach reflects the evolution of customs enforcement towards integrated risk analysis, enabling teams to identify unusual patterns and target high-risk shipments while maintaining the speed and efficiency of legitimate trade.
It also aligns with Dubai Customs’ strategy of using early targeting and risk management to strengthen shipment oversight, prevent trade and logistics channels from being exploited for illicit activities and facilitate trusted trade through Dubai.
Dubai Customs said the seizures also reflect continued investment in its workforce, including developing inspectors’ and targeting teams’ capabilities in analysing shipping data, assessing risk indicators, detecting concealment methods and identifying document manipulation.
These efforts are supported by technological and innovative solutions that enable faster and more accurate customs decisions and strengthen the department’s ability to anticipate smuggling attempts and illicit trade.
Abdulla Ahmad Alblooshi, Director of the Air Cargo Centers Management at Dubai Customs, said the seizures demonstrate the efficiency and readiness of targeting and inspection teams in responding to evolving illicit trade methods.
He said, “Successfully identifying nine export shipments across three air cargo facilities and linking them to a single importer confirms that the strength of customs operations today does not depend on inspection alone. It starts with information, accurately interpreting risk indicators, connecting them and anticipating risks before a shipment completes its journey.”
He added that the Management’s inspection teams recorded 182 seizures during the first three months of this year, including 161 security-related seizures and 21 customs seizures.
Alblooshi said Dubai Customs plays an important role in combating smuggling, illicit trade and fraudulent activities while protecting international supply chains from exploitation, strengthening confidence in Dubai as a safe and reliable global hub for trade and logistics.
The seizure has added international significance as the shipments were destined for a European country rather than the local market, underscoring Dubai Customs’ wider role in safeguarding cross-border trade.
Dubai Customs also supports customs administrations worldwide through targeted proactive operations aimed at combating transnational organised crime and thwarting attempts to smuggle drugs and prohibited materials, helping protect communities and strengthen the security of global trade.
Source: Emirates 24|7