News DeskDubai, UAE: H.E. Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, confirmed the exceptional role of the UAE in combating narcotics and psychotropic substances locally and internationally.
Al Marri attributed this success to the constant guidance and follow-up of His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.
Al Marri also lauded the National Anti-Drugs Council’s adoption of the slogan “Join Us to Stop It’ which sends a clear message on June 26th- the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking- that protecting future generations against drugs is a shared responsibility between authorities and community members.
In a statement marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri commended the General Department of Anti-Narcotics’ tremendous efforts in combating narcotics internationally by exchanging 653 pieces of vital security information with police departments in 43 countries. This resulted in the arrest of 190 suspects involved in drug trafficking and the accumulated seizure of 15 tons and 291 kilograms.
He also commended the Department for their local efforts, which resulted in recording a 36.2% increase in the number of drugs and psychotropic substances traffickers arrested last year compared to the year before. Similarly, the Department’s indicator of arrests against drug promoters experienced a 33.3% rise last year and a 20.3% increase in the success rate of detecting drug users.
Al Marri also highlighted the influential role of the Hemaya International Centre, affiliated with the General Department of Anti-Narcotics, in educating the youth about the dangers of drugs and psychotropic substances. Over the past years, Hemaya has raised awareness in 210 government and private schools, delivered lectures to 79,716 students, conducted sports activities for 9,262 students, and military activities for 10,444 students, in addition to publishing electronic awareness bulletins that benefit 201,428 students per issue.
Al Marri praised the Centre’s keenness in raising awareness of the drug scourge as its media materials on various social media platforms have reached 6,580,820 people.
More than 50,000 people benefited from the Centre’s various community field events, 37,418 beneficiaries from lectures, 10,947 from workshops, and 9,416,881 from the Centre’s publications ‘Hemaya Magazine, Hemaya Bulletin, and the special student bulletin’.
Al Marri concluded by highlighting the importance of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in uniting local and international efforts among law enforcement agencies to combat this dangerous scourge that demolishes the coherence of societies.
