Dubai Customs intercepted an attempt to export more than 70 million illicit cigarettes to a European country after detecting nine shipments across three air cargo facilities. The shipments contained 360,500 cartons, or nearly seven tons of tobacco, concealed in consignments declared as clothing.
Risk analysis and shipment-data reviews revealed links between the consignments, which were ultimately traced to a single importer. Customs teams identified a common pattern across the nine shipments before they could leave the UAE.
Dubai Customs said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of data analysis and risk-based targeting in identifying connections between shipments and preventing illicit goods from moving through Dubai’s air cargo network.