Watch: Police nab four Arab ‘lemon’ smugglers, seize consignment worth $15.8 million in Dubai

Four men “of Arab nationality” have been held in Dubai for making an attempt to smuggle captagon pills concealed in fake lemons into the UAE, the police said on Thursday.   

After a tip-off, the drugs worth $15.8 million, as assessed by the official WAM news agency, were seized, police Major General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri said. In total, there were around 1,160,500 pills.  

Manufactured mostly in Lebanon, this drug, Captagon, is an amphetamine-type stimulant. It is usually sent to Saudi Arabia.   

For years, people around the world have been trying to smuggle drugs innovatively.   

Also Read: Jolt for Merck as France cancels order for Covid antiviral drug

The four suspects, who live in the UAE, belong to the same Arab country.  

The pills were “hidden in fake lemons in a shipment of lemons inside an incoming refrigerated container,” added Mansouri.  

According to the police, there were “3,840 boxes of lemons, 66 of which had fake lemons containing the captagon pills”.  

Also Read: After Pfizer vaccine, Philippines approves purchase of Merck's COVID-19 pill

On Twitter, Dubai Police HQ said, “In an operation dubbed “66”, the Dubai Police uncovers AED 58 million worth of captagon pills hidden in lemon shipment.”  

The Dubai Police has also shared a video of the whole operation. It showed boxes had markings, indicating the origin as Lebanon.   

(With inputs from agencies)