DUBAI, June 27: Police in the Gulf emirate of Dubai said on Sunday they had captured a fugitive drug baron after a seven-year chase that spanned several Middle Eastern countries and ended in Lebanon.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) official news agency WAM named the man as Ziyad Abahji and said he was arrested in conjunction with Lebanese police in Beirut while trying to sell a huge quantity of narcotics.

It said he was holding a UAE passport when he was arrested but did not say when he was captured.

Dubai police chief, Dhahi Khalfan, told WAM Abahji had been on the run since June 1997, when police busted a car dealership he was using as a front for manufacturing and selling drugs.

The dealership sold vehicles stolen in Europe and illegally exported to Dubai, he added.

WAM said Abahji was the "most dangerous drug lord on the local scene". Diplomats say Dubai, one of seven emirates that make up the UAE and the Gulf region's trade and tourism hub, is a busy route for drug trafficking between Asia to Europe.-Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Slow start
Updated 15 Jun, 2024

Slow start

Despite high attendance, the NA managed to pass only a single money bill during this period.
Sindh lawlessness
Updated 15 Jun, 2024

Sindh lawlessness

A recently released report describes the law and order situation in Karachi as “worryingly poor”.
Punjab budget
15 Jun, 2024

Punjab budget

PUNJAB’S budget for 2024-25 provides much fodder to those who believe that the increased provincial share from the...
Budget and politics
Updated 14 Jun, 2024

Budget and politics

PML-N, scared of taking bold steps lest it loses whatever little public support it has, has left its traditional support — traders — virtually untouched.
New talks?
14 Jun, 2024

New talks?

WILL this prove another false start, or may we expect a more sincere effort this time? Reference is made to the...
A non-starter
14 Jun, 2024

A non-starter

WHILE the UN Security Council had earlier this week adopted a US-backed resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza...