Abu Dhabi: The UAE remains firmly committed to combating the illicit sale and smuggling of narcotics, said Major General Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, during an event on Sunday in Abu Dhabi to mark World Day to Combat Drugs.
World Day to Combat Drugs — which falls on June 26 — was passed by the United Nations in 1987, and is an international day to highlight narcotics abuse and the illegal narcotics drugs trade.
To mark the occasion, the Abu Dhabi Police organised several events across Abu Dhabi to raise awareness about the day, and to get the community involved by engaging them with the Ministry of Interior’s efforts and programmes on combatting the narcotics trade.
Speaking at one of the events which was held at Bawabat Al Sharq Mall, Al Rumaithi said that the Abu Dhabi Police would use all of its capable resources in its fight against the narcotics trade, including the latest technologies and methods in detecting and catching those involved.
Al Rumaithi added that the leadership of the Abu Dhabi Police has given an important priority to its fight against drugs, and have taken several steps and programmes in that regard — including the initiation of outreach community programmes, and improving the efficiency and quality of the police work.
Al Rumaithi stressed that families play a crucial role in strengthening the fight against drug abuse. He noted that a child’s behaviour and actions would be influenced by the family, and as such it was important to have a strong family unit in order to prevent their children from falling under bad influences — which are often the main causes of drug abuse.
Al Rumaithi also encouraged members of the community to get involved, and said that the community could help by raising awareness and spreading knowledge on the dangers of drug abuse.
The event also included an exhibition — which will run until Tuesday — and featured several organisations and departments that engaged in tackling drug abuse and crimes.
Gulf News spoke with a customs officer who explained how narcotic dealers would try and use every type of conceivable item to smuggle in their illegal drugs — with some of those items being displayed at the exhibition.
“They use different items and methods including cosmetic ones like lipsticks and hairbrushes for their operations. They place drugs inside the objects to try and hide them. They will even try and hide the drugs in concrete cement blocks or carpets.
“So they have smart methods, but we are smarter than them, and we are trained to catch them,” he added.
