(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The uae is working on a comprehensive nationwide strategy to combat drugs in collaboration with the united nations.
the uae is a transit point rather than a major hub for drug consumption due to the its geographical location between the countries of production and consumption.
while only 20 per cent of narcotics trafficking cases worldwide come to light the uae is working on a comprehensive nationwide strategy to combat drugs in collaboration with the united nations according to a senior official.
dr mohammed murad abdullah director of decision making support centre dubai police said narcotics are not a phenomenon in the uae but more cooperation is needed from all parties concerned to reduce the impact of this complicated issue.
dr mohammed murad abdullah col saeed abdullah al suwaidi and dr hatem fouad aly. — kt photos by juidin bernarrd
“all the statistics available on drugs worldwide are approximate and most narcotics related crimes are unknown to law enforcement bodies for many reasons.”
the police may not be able to protect or treat and do rehabilitation on its own dr abdullah told khaleej times at the sidelines of the 10th hemaya (protection) international forum on drugs with the theme: ‘the int’l standards for the development of national & regional strategies for drug prevention’.
“drug dealing is taken over by organised gangs and the best police in the world can only seize 20 per cent of narcotics trafficking cases according to international studies.”
drug traffickers are actually engaged in constant competition with law enforcement bodies that they keep developing their smuggling techniques and skills he added. “so said we should be steps ahead of smugglers in terms of skills training sharing information and expertise and use the latest detecting and scanning devices.”
dr abdullah said no one can say they are safe from the evils of narcotics which is the second biggest trade in the world after oil. “narcotics’ annual revenues around the globe exceed $400 billion as per official reports worldwide.”
dr abdullah indicated that the uae is a transit point rather than a major hub for drug consumption. “this is basically due to the country’s distinguished geographical location between the countries of production and consumption.”
the uae has enough deterring punitive laws the rules are always updated to curb drug trafficking and consumption in the country he stated. “there are specialised committees to ensure flexible updating of controlled medications.”
he added that as many as 400 psychotropic drugs are to be added soon to the already 39 listed medications in the narcotics law. “most of the narcotics smuggled to the uae and the whole world are flowing from latin american and east asian countries.”
col saeed abdullah al suwaidi director-general of the federal general department of anti-narcotics told khaleej times that the narcotics rates in the uae as per the un reports are very high as compared to other countries. “this indicates a strong drug combat deterring laws and unavailability of such poisons in the country.”
urging cooperation col suwaidi said spending one dollar on the prevention of drugs saves $10. “the un reports show that the treatment process — spanning anti-narcotics combat rehabilitation detention and all security issues of 4.5 million out of some 27 million addicts registered worldwide cost $35 billion.”
as such investment in the prevention of drugs based on actual ever-developing programmes with success indicators will remarkably cut loss and the number of addicts and casualties he added.
“of the 3566 people implicated in consuming and trafficking in drugs in 2013 85 per cent were only using narcotics and those were mostly young of which 10 per cent were students.”
no matter what the law enforcement bodies do parents remain in the front line to protect children against drugs. “the situation is so challenging with listed psychotropic drugs needed for medical purposes and hence may be abused” he said.
col suwaidi urged parents to seek help from the bodies concerned when discovering an addict in the family. “official international reports show that some 60 per cent of the treated addicts reused drugs.”
dr hatem fouad aly representative and head of the un office on drugs and crime for the gcc told khaleej times that the uae is a very well-developed country geographically economically socially and is politically stable modern and secure and serves as a major transit hub between all continents. “that has made it very vulnerable to illicit drug trafficking to or through the country and a target for organised crime groups.”
dr aly urged the uae to develop and refine a strategy that balances drug demand and supply reduction. “drug demand reduction may be accomplished with prevention measures public awareness treatment rehabilitation and reintegration programmes while supply reduction can be boosted by increasing their drug enforcement securing borders to combat trafficking and to cooperate internationally.”
ahmedshaaban?khaleejtimes.com
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