Watch: Sharjah Police launch ‘Drug Imprint’ project to track narcotic sources within UAE
New initiative will help create a national database to fight crimes related to narcotics
Sharjah: Sharjah Police on Thursday announced the launch of a new innovative project named ‘Drug Imprint’, to strengthen anti-drug surveillance and awareness in the emiarte and the UAE.
‘Drug Imprint’ is a project that will have a tenure of three years and will be implemented in cooperation with the Forensics Laboratory in Sharjah. The project will benefit not just Sharjah and the UAE, but the global community as well in the long run.
The announcement about the project came during a Press conference at Sharjah Police Officers Club on Thursday, in the presence of Major General Saif Al Ziri Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; Brigadier General Ahmad Haji Al Serkal, Director General of Police Operations; Brigadier General Arif bin Hadeeb, Director of Media and Public Relations; and Colonel Adel Al Mazmi, Acting Head of the Forensic Laboratory; Lieutenant-Colonel Majid Al-Asam, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department; Lieutenant-Colonel Amer Al Harmoudi, Director of the Special Rehabilitation Center of Sharjah Police and a number of other officers and representatives from local and foreign media houses.
Tracking down drug smugglers
Colonel Al Mazmi said ‘Drug Imprint’ is an innovative project that obtained intellectual property rights from the UAE Ministry of Economy, as it will contribute towards proactive measures to stop smuggling, export and distribution of narcotic substances at their sources. Col Al Mazmi pointed out that ‘Drug Imprint’ will involve analysis of narcotic substances physically — in terms of their colour, weight, shape, nature of the substance and classification of their smell — and also chemically, by using modern techniques that will help determine whether the substances are volatile or non-volatile and classify them accordingly. These will contribute towards the creation of an integrated database on narcotics. Such database will help track down drug smuggling operations, strike at global promotion networks for narcotics, combat intercontinental crimes, identify modern manufacturing methods of narcotics by identifying their originator chemicals, and also help identify local promoters of narcotics. All this will be done in coordination with relevant global institutions such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Institutional excellence
Major General Al Shamsi extended his thanks, appreciation and praise to His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for his care and support for Sharjah Police, and the follow-up measures of Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. He also thanked Lieutenant-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, for his continuous directives towards ensuirng institutional excellence at the Ministry of Interior.
He also extended his thanks to Lieutenant-General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chief of Police and Public Security in Dubai and Chairman of the Council for Combating Drugs at the state level, for the efforts made by the council in combating drug-related crimes and protecting the nation’s youth and children.
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Major General Al Shamsi pointed out that media, too, was a major partner in supporting the police’s efforts in combating drugs, raising awareness among the public on the risks posed by drugs and in confronting other related challenges.
Brigadier General Ahmad Haji Al Serkal, Director General of Police Operations, said that the initiatives that were launched and announced on Thursday were in line with the International Day for Combating Drugs, which is observed on June 26 every year. He said that through the two innovative projects — ‘Drug Imprint’ and ‘Smartwatch for Rehabilitation’ -- Sharjah Police were keen to achieve their long-term goals in fighting the drug menace.