DUBAI - The Sea Customs Centres Management, one of Dubai Customs’ departments, carried out 61,852 inspections and 120 seizures in the first quarter of 2022. In 2021, the Management carried out 150,541 inspections and 248 seizures.

"We upgraded and developed our inspection systems in our customs centres to achieve the best results in confronting attempts to smuggle prohibited goods," said Rashid Al Suwaidi, Acting Director of Sea Customs Centres Management. "The management has shown noticeable success in preventing the entry of these goods into the country by raising the readiness of the affiliated centers and enhancing their capabilities in terms of protecting society thanks to the efforts of the customs inspection officers who are always vigilant."

He noted that the smart scanning systems developed by Dubai Customs, most notably the advanced container inspection system, have achieved great success in identifying suspicious shipments.

The system has a capacity of 900 containers per hour. It alerts the inspectors to the possibility of risks in suspicious shipments by clarifying the level of density in the materials transported within the containers. Inspection operations are aided by the sniffer dog (K9) units.

Al Suwaidi added, "Our inspectors join advanced workshops and programmes to learn about the latest inspection methods and techniques and effectively curb any smuggling attempts relying on the most advanced AI technologies."