UAE: 143 tonnes of tobacco products seized from illegal factory in farm

Sharjah - The farm was being misused for the manufacture, trade and storage of neswar by the workers.

Published: Thu 11 Mar 2021, 3:17 PM

By
Afkar Ali Ahmed

A total of 143 tonnes of neswar (banned tobacco product) and its raw materials were seized from an unauthorised factory functioned inside a farm in Dhaid, a top official with Al Dhaid City Municipality has said.

Khaleej Times · 8@8 with David Light, Thursday March 11

Listen to this story and more on 8@8 with David Light

Ali Mussabah Al Tunaiji, Director of the municipality, said that during a crackdown targeting illegal activities in abandoned farms, municipality inspectors managed to seize the materials from a farm in the Saih Al Muhab area.

Al Tunaiji said a number of workers were also caught red-handed while processing neswar. “The civic body’s inspection teams had been keeping a surveillance on the farm after they received information about the illegal activities there. They monitored the movements of the workers and caught some of them red-handed while manufacturing neswar inside a warehouse that was converted into a makeshift factory,” he added.

The farm was being misused for the manufacture, trade and storage of neswar by the workers. “We managed to confiscate 143 tonnes of the material, which was disposed of safely. The workers who were caught from the factory were referred to the authorities for legal action,” he added.

Al Tunaiji pointed out that the inspection campaigns are part of the municipality’s plan that aimed at ensuring the city remains healthy and an ideal place to live. He reaffirmed that the municipality will continue the inspection to implement the law and educate the public about the need to adhere to the rules.

Neswar is a type of chewing tobacco that is widely popular among the people in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia and some parts of Iran. A mixture of green tobacco and lime powder, neswar is banned in the UAE.

It is considered a health risk — more than smoking — because of the harmful substances added in the preparation that could cause cancer.