Thursday, Jun 30, 2016

Dubai: Dubai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Department seized more than 4.17 million narcotic pills in the first half of 2016 as compared to the 65.28 million seized in the same period last year.

Dubai Police recorded 748 drug cases so far this year, as compared to 686 cases in the same period of 2015.

Colonel Eid Mohammad Thani Hareb, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department, said they also seized a total of 120.8kg of various drugs, in addition to 2,195 marijuana seeds during the first six months of 2016.

These included 35.5kg of marijuana, 14.9kg of hashish and 2.3kg of poppy seeds.

The department also confiscated 33.4kg of heroin, 33.8kg of cocaine, and less than one kilogram each of opium, shabu (methamphetamine), spice and qat (Arabian shrub).

In the same period in 2015, the department seized a total of 100.6kg which included 69.1kg of heroin, 16.7kg of cocaine, 4.3kg of hashish, 3.7kg of marijuana in addition to small amounts of shabu, spice, qat and others.

Col Hareb said 977 people were arrested in the first half of the year in drug-related activities, an increase from 946 during the same time period last year.

Of those 977 people arrested, 363 had western passports, 195 were Arabs, and 419 were GCC nationals.

The majority of those arrested, 376 people, were arrested for using drugs, 31 were caught dealing, 94 were promoting, 129 for bring in drugs, 330 for possession, and 17 for smuggling drugs.

The department also helped provide 132 tips-off and information to international authorities which helped in many arrests.

Two cases in which Dubai Police tip-offs led to arrest were when the authorities in Copenhagen, Denmark seized five kilograms of cocaine from a traveller and 485kg of heroin was seized on board a wooden dhow in Australian waters.

The department has also helped in shutting down 11 websites in the past six months for promoting and selling drugs.

“We believe that raising awareness is key to the fight against drugs, that is why we have held 111 lectures and 67 awareness exhibitions during the first six months of 2016.

He added that there are 58 recovering addicts who are under the department’s recovery programme, to ensure they do not go back to using drugs.

by Noorhan Barakat Staff Reporter Gulf News 2016. All rights reserved.