UAE launches 'RasCargo' project to detect drugs, explosives


The UAE Federal Customs Authority (FCA) has launched its RasCargo project, which is aimed at detecting drugs and explosives in inward consignments, employing K9 dogs' sense of smell.

The UAE Federal Customs Authority (FCA) has launched its RasCargo project, which is aimed at detecting drugs and explosives in inward consignments, employing K9 dogs' sense of smell.
 
Through RasCargo project, state-of-the-art technologies detect smuggled substances by collecting an air sample from consignments, containers, mass goods, wooden ships, engines, huge machinery, small and medium vehicles and closed trucks, then the same will be inspected by K9 dogs of the customs inspection unit within the Authority which in turn smell it to detect any smuggled drugs or explosives demonstrating specific sign if any such substances suspected, said a Wam news agency report.
 
Ali Saeed Matar Alneyadi, Commissioner of Customs - Chairman of FCA, said on the sidelines of the 'UAE Innovates 2021' session, that the UAE is the first country to implement such modern technology worldwide for detecting drugs, and highlighted that such technology is one of its kind in inspecting trucks, goods and closed vehicles by combining modern technology, man effort, and K9 dogs.
 
Alneyadi said RasCargo project contributes to bolstering security and augmenting UAE entrepreneurship in customs inspection domain by deploying customs K9 dogs in addition to promoting the competency of inspecting inward goods and curtailing clearance time and protecting human capital as inspectors and controllers as well as K9 dogs and goods against hazards and combating smuggling operations.
 
In this context, he pointed out that the significance of RasCargo project underlies in developing K9 dogs skills, employing their sense of smell in new functions contributing to facilitating trade movement while reinforcing customs control scheme by combining all elements of customs inspection process.