Customs at Hamad International Airport in Doha seized drugs for the first time since the start of the World Cup, the Qatari authorities announced this Monday (21).
Rigid with drug trafficking and consumption, the rich emirate of the Gulf hosts, since Sunday (20), the first World Cup ever held in the Middle East, with an expected arrival of more than one million visitors until the final of the tournament, in December 18th.
“Customs at Hamad International Airport have thwarted trafficking in tramadol and hashish,” the General Authority of Customs announced on Twitter.
One of the Customs officials at Doha airport “became suspicious of a passenger’s bags, which is why he inspected them and found 1,990 Tramadol pills, along with 464.5 grams of hashish,” the agency reported.
The passenger in question, about whom no information was released, must appear before the Public Prosecutor’s Office, a Qatari official, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
Sentences imposed in Qatar for possession, use or trafficking of drugs are very severe, including long prison terms, heavy fines and expulsion from the territory in the case of foreigners.
A potent analgesic, Tramadol, a synthetic opioid, can cause strong dependence. It is one of the products related to the opioid crisis that is shaking the United States, where overdoses of this drug have caused more than half a million deaths in two decades.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
