Canada-Emirates drug trafficking

Écrit par

Media

,

, , ,

Reported by the Emirates Ministry of Interior (MoI), on July 18, 2025 the Sharjah police (UAE) seized 131 kg of narcotics and psychotropics as they tracked the smuggling from Toronto Canada port, through the St. Lawrence Seaway, into Málaga Spain port, and on its way to the UAE (Sharjah is adjacent to Dubai).1

Seven people have been arrested, including a husband and wife. The drugs were shipped hidden with used car parts in a shipping container.

The NSCOESN has studied drug trafficking into and across Canada, along with drug consumption by the general public (various demographics, rich and poor), and none of this is a surprise.2

In 2023 June, Dubai Customs seized nearly 550 kg of drugs destined for Canada.3 Unfortunately that is not included in today’s reporting. Indeed back then, Canada did not have Kevin Brosseau appointed as Fentanyl Czar, specifically funded and supported to counter cross-border drug trafficking.4

Mr. Brosseau was appointed to primarily counter drugs entering the US from Canada, however, they would likely notice drugs leaving Canada in general – especially if the Emiratis are able to track it from Toronto to Málaga to Dubai. With skilled teams, one can watch drug trade happening in various cities across Canada. It’s likely that you know someone who consumes illicit drugs or distributes it. Indeed, you might not be aware of their activities.

Besides the domestic and international criminality of smuggling of drugs by organized crime groups from Canada into other jurisdictions, it can also harm our international relations and potentially international trade. Shifts in bilateral trade can impact domestic companies, trade revenues, and jobs, thereby the Canadian economy.

Additionally, when drugs enter Canada, they are distributed to a range of age groups (from children to adults) raising various social and public safety concerns, along with budget challenges to counter the drug trafficking/use and the added burden upon Canada to provide healthcare support through our provinces and territories.

All of these and more are national security concerns.

  1. See X/Twitter post by the UAE MoI dated July 18, 2025, https://x.com/moiuae/status/1946288014390673642 ↩︎
  2. The NSCOESN has performed a study on various drugs seized by the US entering Canada, and published a report on cocaine seizures by US authorities attempting to enter Sarnia over the Blue Water Bridge between January and December 2024. ↩︎
  3. See article dated June 4, 2023 by Dubai Customs titled “Dubai Customs help Canadian authorities seize shipment of 547kg of drugs,” https://www.dubaicustoms.gov.ae/en/mobile/pages/newsdetails.aspx?itemid=1922 ↩︎
  4. https://www.canada.ca/en/privy-council/services/canada-fentanyl-czar.html ↩︎

More posts