Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Tuesday, May 5th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

The Higher Committee for Combating Drugs at the Ministry of Interior discussed the necessary measures to cope with drugs trafficked into the UAE. The committee discussed ways to activate field monitoring methods, ways to continue joint cooperation and coordination, and ways to promote international cooperation in the fight against drugs.

The fourth periodic meeting of the committee was chaired by Colonel Saeed Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director General, Anti-Narcotics Federal Directorate General at the Ministry of Interior. Directors of nationwide anti-narcotic departments attended the meeting, which took place in the meeting hall at the General Department of Anti-Narcotics at the Dubai Police.

During the meeting, the Higher Committee for Combating Drugs discussed the realities and facts that surround anti-narcotic operations; alongside the policies and strategic plans in place that aim to reduce the likelihood of drug supplies and ways to capture drug traffickers and dealers. The committee additionally discussed the successful practices and experiences in tracking the sources of drugs through examinations that identify the main characteristics of each type of drug; which oftentimes indicates which materials and locations were used in the manufacturing process. This process is also known as the ‘drug fingerprint’.

The attendees commended the ‘Maritime Surveillance of Drug Trafficking in the Indian Ocean’ seminar, which was organized in cooperation with the US anti-drug liaison office in the UAE for specialized officers and staff in the conference hall of the Federal Police School in Sharjah.

The committee reviewed the procedures and the arrangements for this year’s observance of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The events will be organized in Abu Dhabi under the slogan “Drug Abuse is a Scourge that Ruins Lives”.  In line with the objective of promoting and improving the level of work for anti-narcotic personnel in the UAE, the committee decided to form various teams designated for implementing the approaches and methods used to support the field work and to establish a permanent working group to monitor drug prices.

The committee also reviewed the results derived from coordinating with a supreme committee of the Ministry of Health; which was formed in accordance with the federal anti-drug law to review narcotic and psychotropic substance tables and field reports in regards to prescription drug abuse.  Following the review of the findings, the committee discussed the ways to take the necessary steps to both tighten the regulation of drugs and to raise community awareness in regards to the dangers of such drugs.

Colonel Al Suwaidi stressed the importance of reviewing international practices in the field of combating drugs and of utilizing the most successful practices. He pointed out that during its January meeting in the first quarter, the Higher Committee for Combating Drugs discussed various topics that included international cooperation in the fight against drugs. During the January meeting, the committee followed the recommendations based off of the discussions with the Pakistani Chief of the Anti-Narcotic Force and the accompanying delegation.

He explained that the committee always seeks to enhance cooperation and coordination with the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program, ‘Aqdar’. The committee and the Aqdar program jointly review and unify the scientific material provided to the students of public and private schools in a bid to raise awareness about the harmful effects and dangers of drugs. The committee decided to establish a designated work team to prepare the scientific material in coordination with the concerned authorities, which includes the reasons people abuse drugs, the legal stance to cope with drug offenses, and the implications of drug abuse in health, social, security and economic aspects.

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

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