His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, affirmed the exceptional role of the United Arab Emirates in combating drugs and psychotropic substances locally and internationally, thanks to the directives and follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. He pointed out that the UAE’s efforts are pioneering globally in apprehending members of criminal gangs and the size of seizures, which have had a significant impact in preventing the arrival of drugs into communities and protecting families from their harms.
On the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls on the 26th of this month, His Excellency Lieutenant General Al Marri commended the efforts of Dubai Police in this regard. He mentioned that the General Department of Anti-Narcotics was able to achieve significant accomplishments in combating the drug menace at the international level during the past three years (2020-2022). This was accomplished through the exchange of 653 pieces of information with law enforcement agencies in 43 countries, resulting in the arrest of 190 individuals involved in drug trafficking and the seizure of quantities amounting to 15 tons and 291 kilograms.
At the local level, he noted that the General Department of Anti-Narcotics has achieved an increase in the arrest rate of suspects involved in drug trafficking cases by 36.2% compared to the previous year. There has also been an increase in the apprehension rate of “dealers” by 33.3% and “users” by 20.3%.
He also acknowledged the effective role of the International Protection Center, affiliated with the General Department of Anti-Narcotics, in raising awareness among youth about the dangers of drugs and psychotropic substances. In the past years, the center has disseminated awareness in 210 government and private schools, delivering lectures to 79,716 students, organizing sports activities for 9,262 students, and military activities for 10,444 students. Additionally, it has issued electronic awareness newsletters benefiting 201,428 students.
Lieutenant General Al Marri praised the center’s commitment to delivering the awareness message about the drug menace. Its media materials reached over 6,580,820 people through various social media platforms, and its diverse community field activities benefited more than 50,000 individuals. The awareness lectures reached 37,418 beneficiaries, and the different workshops reached 10,947 individuals. Furthermore, the center’s publications, including “Protection Magazine,” “Protection Newsletter,” and the special student newsletter, benefited 9,416,881 people.
Lieutenant General Al Marri concluded by stating that the Dubai Police General Headquarters works in coordination with all law enforcement agencies in the country and the Anti-Narcotics Council to enhance efforts in detecting and apprehending organized crime gangs that spread this menace across international borders. They also work locally to combat the promotion of drugs, provide early detection methods, enhance rehabilitation mechanisms for recovering addicts, and integrate them into society. He also commended the national Anti-Narcotics Council for adopting the slogan “Join Us to Prevent It” as the slogan for the country’s participation in celebrating the International Day against Drug Abuse, aiming to raise awareness and protect the community.
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