Watan-The General Directorate of Drug Control in Qatar, in coordination with the General Customs Authority, managed to seize a quantity of drugs concealed in a secret manner inside a candy box when attempting to bring it into the country.
The General Customs Authority reported on Thursday that its personnel thwarted an attempt to smuggle 2 kilograms of hashish after a customs inspector became suspicious of a passenger’s bag arriving in Qatar via Hamad International Airport.
After manual inspection of the bag, wrapped pieces of the seized substance were found hidden inside a candy box in a secretive manner.
A circulated video clip showed an employee displaying the seized quantity in a plastic bag, wrapped in cellophane paper, before weighing it on an electronic scale, revealing its weight to be 2 kg.
#جمارك_قطر pic.twitter.com/MOosSYZt6P
— الهيئة العامة للجمارك (@Qatar_Customs) February 15, 2024
Drug smuggling into the Gulf countries
Drug smuggling into Gulf countries is rare, compared to other Gulf states where many shipments are intercepted monthly.
Qatar imposes strict penalties for possession, consumption, or trafficking of drugs, including lengthy imprisonment, hefty fines, and deportation of foreigners.
Qatar’s drug law lists 64 substances and covers all aspects related to drugs, including prohibited substances and methods of dealing with them such as selling, buying, smuggling, importing, possessing, and trafficking. This detailed law aims to encompass all methods and tricks used by individuals involved in drug activities, leading to penalties commensurate with the crimes committed by individuals.