Dubai Customs officers foil bid to smuggle counterfeit currency

An attempt to smuggle Dh268,000 of fake Dh100, Dh200 and Dh500 notes through Dubai International Airport has been foiled by customs officers.

The counterfeit money was being carried by a passenger who arrived at Terminal 2 from an Arab country. An officer from the Passengers Operations Department of Dubai Customs became suspicious when he noticed the Arab man looking tense and drew him to the attention of colleagues in the inspection area.

Examination of the passenger's luggage by detector machines and then by hand failed to uncover anything illegal. The inspectors asked the passenger to empty his pockets, at which point he became even more anxious. The inspectors then found the fake cash.

The suspect was handed over to Dubai Police, and examination of the money by the Forensic Science and Criminology Department revealed that all but one Dh100 note were counterfeit. The copies were so exact that the layman would not realise they were not genuine.

"Dubai Customs makes great efforts to combat all kinds of smuggling, including the smuggling of fake currency which has a negative effect on the UAE economy," said Ali Al Mugahwi, Director of the Passengers Operations Department.

"This is achieved by hiring highly qualified inspectors who go through a number of specialised courses in body language and customs monitoring. They also receive regular training in inspection methods, including searching luggage using X-ray machines to detect smugglers who try to bring prohibited and illegal products to the UAE."

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