Dubai Customs seize nearly 27,000 boxes of eye drops with 'narcotic-like effects'

Nearly 27,000 boxes of a restricted eye drop medication have been seized in the last two years by Dubai Customs.

The medication, which is classified as a controlled substance in the UAE, is prohibited for sale or use without a medical prescription in the country. In 62 different operations, the authority seized a total of 26,766 boxes of the medicine that also has narcotic properties.

The UAE maintains a stringent policy on narcotic substances, reinforced by Federal Decree-Law No. (30) of 2021 on combating narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. This legislation bans the import, export, manufacturing, possession, and use of such substances, as well as any activities involving them without strict regulatory oversight.

Khalid Ahmed Yousef, Director of Passenger Operations Department at Dubai Customs, stated: "Recently, we decoded a criminal scheme involving marijuana smuggling by travellers from the same Asian region, concealing the drug in vacuum-sealed bags, resulting in 13 thwarted attempts totalling 54 kilograms."

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