More than 11 tonnes of different drugs were seized last year by UAE’s Ministry of Interior.

Colonel Saeed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Anti-Narcotics Federal Directorate General at the Ministry of Interior, revealed the series of achievements accomplished recently by the ministry in its war against drugs on regional and international levels.

“These huge amounts of drugs are capable, if they were to reach society, of destroying the lives of thousands of people. Were it not for the attention of drug fighting forces, honest citizens and close regional co-operation, these drugs could take people’s souls and savings in a disgusting, criminal way,” said Al Suwaidi.

Al Suwaidi praised the co-operation of anti-drug enforcement forces from the other GCC countries, as well as Pakistan and Iran.

“We would like to highlight the great efforts made by the GCC-Criminal Information Center to Combat Drugs in Qatar, for its role in bringing the GCC counter-drug forces under one ceiling through the GCC attaché officers who work 24/7 to empower this co-operation and facilitate information exchange and analysis regarding gangs that target the GCC countries,” he said.

“These efforts enhance the war on crime, a policy used by the Ministry of Interior to fight crime’s origin before it can spread by monitoring its paths and lines using the controlled delivery method.”

“In the same context, we have cooperated with counter-drug forces in Iran to stop a boat at the Iranian territorial waters. A group of four people were arrested on the boat, which was loaded by 7.2 tonnes of different drugs, including heroin, opium and hashish.  The gang was planning to smuggle the drugs to the GCC and Africa by sea,” he said.

“Within the GCC countries, two attempts to smuggle heroin were foiled. In each operation, authorities seized half a kilo of the drug, hidden in capsules. The drug mules were arrested in cooperation with the Directorate General for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances at the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

In Saudi Arabia, the ministry co-operated with the concerned authorities to arrest an Asian drug mule with 769 grammes of heroin that he intended to bring in recently. Another Asian was also arrested upon information, in Qatar with abour one kg of heroin, he added. - TradeArabia News Service