UAE foils plots to smuggle 19 people across its borders

The competent authorities in Abu Dhabi have thwarted two attempts at people-smuggling, thwarting a scheme to bring 18 Asian nationals into the country illicitly and another attempt to smuggle an individual out of the country to avoid security measures. The first operation was initiated after authorities received intel of a plan to smuggle 18 Asian nationals in separate groups with the help of a Gulf country national.

The plot was uncovered during surveillance and follow-up actions when the main suspect was apprehended entering via a border crossing, accompanied by two infiltrators and five family members he had recruited to make the journey seem like a genuine family trip and hide the smuggling scheme. In the second incident, authorities intercepted an attempt to smuggle a foreign national out of the country to evade legal restrictions and arrest warrants.

The operation was orchestrated by a Gulf country national, her daughter, who both concealed their actions by traveling with family members. Investigations showed that the woman had prior experience smuggling infiltrators out of the country, while her daughter's husband had been implicated in similar cases earlier. All suspects involved in these operations have been taken into custody, and the Public Prosecution is conducting further investigations to uncover the full details of the cases and ascertain the roles played by each individual.

These two operations highlight the robustness and efficiency of UAE's security forces in combating illegal border crossings and cross-border smuggling, reinforcing border security and upholding the nation's laws and order.