1,200 witchcraft, sorcery items seized, two held

Khaleej Times
Ahmed Shaaban / 11 June 2012

The Dubai Customs has recently foiled a bid to smuggle 1,200 witchcraft and sorcery items by two Asian passengers at the Dubai International Airport, Terminal-3.



According to a senior official, the seizures included small pieces of papers, finger rings, amulets, needles, knives, worry beads, blood, animal pictures, thread and animal skin.
“More than 28 items, spanning tin cans, metallic paper, magic teaching books, fish bone, animal bones, strings, pieces of charcoals, oysters, leaves, powder, cotton rolls and dark materials were also found from the suspects’ bags,” Ali Al Mugahwi, Director of the Airport Operations Department at the Dubai Customs, told Khaleej Times on Sunday. The customs inspectors, upon suspicion, put the bags under close surveillance until they arrived at the front customs screening machines area. “Automatically and manually searching the bags, the inspectors found several witchery writings, talisman and objects usually used in sorcery, which is strictly prohibited by the UAE law,” he explained.


Al Mugahwi said the suspects, along with the seized goods, were referred to the Dubai Police for legal action. “The Airport Operations Department at the Dubai Customs earlier managed 92 seizures related to witchcraft and sorcery in 2011 against 16 seizures reported in the first quarter of the current year.”


“The smugglers were of Asian, African and European nationalities. They used different methods to smuggle their contraband, hiding in their clothes, hand bags, travel bags and parcels,” he added.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com