Tribune News Network
Doha
The Maritime Customs authority has been able to foil an attempt to smuggle cannabis into Qatar through the Ruwais Port, thanks to the Ministry of Interior's Police Canine Section.
Trained dogs sniffed out 4.2 kilos of cannabis hidden inside the engine bay of a refrigerated truck, carrying a shipment of vegetables, the customs authority said on Monday.
Recently, the Air Cargo Customs Administration and Private Airports Customs Department in Qatar foiled an attempt to smuggle banned pills inside food cans being brought into the country.
The customs official said they seized 2,805 tablets of the banned Lyrica capsules from the food cans.
Lyrica, also known by its generic name Pregabalin, is an anticonvulsant used to treat seizures and provide pain relief for people with fibromyalgia, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, or herpes zoster. While Lyrica can be beneficial to those who need it, others are at risk for developing a Lyrica addiction.
The same customs wing recently had also seized 5 tonnes of tobacco hidden in shipments of foodstuff such as cornflakes.
