KUWAIT CITY, Feb 13: In a sweeping joint operation that underscores the Gulf’s uncompromising stance against narcotics trafficking, authorities in the State of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have dismantled a major drug-smuggling network and seized more than 14 million Captagon pills concealed inside commercial cargo in Dubai.

The operation — carried out through coordinated intelligence and field cooperation between Kuwait’s General Directorate of Drug Control and its counterpart in the Emirate of Dubai — resulted in the confiscation of 14,062,500 Captagon tablets weighing approximately 2,250 kilograms. The massive haul had been meticulously hidden inside five containers of corn, in what officials described as a highly sophisticated concealment attempt.

The breakthrough came under the direct guidance of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, Chairman of the National Anti-Narcotics Bureau in the UAE, reflecting what officials called the indivisible security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

Security sources said the joint field intelligence operation led to the arrest of three Arab nationals implicated in orchestrating the shipment. Investigators confirmed that the suspects were part of a wider criminal network believed to have been flooding Gulf countries with large quantities of psychotropic substances.

Authorities described the seizure as one of the largest Captagon busts in the region, delivering a significant blow to organized drug trafficking operations targeting Gulf societies.

Officials reiterated that coordination among GCC countries remains a cornerstone in confronting cross-border drug crimes, stressing that such cooperation sends a clear message to traffickers that the region’s security agencies operate as one unified front.

The Ministry of Interior affirmed its continued vigilance in tracking and dismantling narcotics networks, emphasizing that the safety and stability of Gulf societies remain paramount.