Heroin smuggling attempt through dietary supplement capsules foiled at UAE’s Fujairah Airport

An attempt to smuggle heroin into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by a passenger was successfully thwarted at Fujairah International Airport on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The General Directorate of Ports at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security conducted the successful operation in cooperation with Fujairah International Airport and apprehended an Asian passenger at the airport.

He had arrived in the Emirates with a huge amount of dietary supplements — 100 containers with 6,000 capsules and 70 additional bags of dietary supplements in powder form, according to Khaleej Times. The smuggling attempt came to light when airport authorities stopped the passenger for a routine baggage inspection after customs officers noticed something suspicious, Gulf News reported. Officers then decided to take a closer look.

After intercepting the passenger at the airport, authorities inspected his luggage. They carried out advanced testing of these supplements. Later it was revealed that the supplements had a presence of narcotic heroin within the capsules. Upon discovery, legal proceedings were initiated against the passenger.


The authority underscored that the vigilance and expertise of customs inspection officers at airports ensured successful thwarting of this smuggling attempt.

They also asserted that besides swift action from the customs officials, modern smart devices and advanced technology also play an instrumental role in detecting illicit narcotics and significantly contribute to community safety and bolstering efforts in the fight against smuggling.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance taken from the seed pod of the various opium poppy plants grown in Southeast and Southwest Asia, Mexico, and Colombia. Heroin can be a white or brown powder, or a black sticky substance known as black tar heroin.