UNIPATH STAFF
Police in Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continue to seize hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs, highlighting the importance of multinational cooperation in policing Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Anti-narcotics forces from the three countries upset at least four large drug smuggling operations in the first half of 2018 and many others in 2017. The seizures involved hashish, marijuana, heroin and amphetamine pills called Captagon.
“Border security will not slack at their job to thwart attempts to undermine security,” a spokesman for the Saudi government said. “Suspects will be dealt with appropriately and according to the law.”
Oman’s seafaring traditions, combined with a 1,700-kilometer coastline, make patrolling for smugglers a constant challenge. Popular spots to deliver drugs bundles are international waters near coastal towns such as Duqm, Salalah and Sur. Fishing boats belonging to criminal gangs ferry the drugs to shore.
Overland routes from Yemen are also exploited to move narcotics. In June 2018, for example, Saudi guards in the Jizan, Najran and Asir border regions with Yemen seized a half ton of hashish. Other routes pass from Yemen, through Oman, to the Emirates.
To interdict more narcotics, Omani authorities have increased security at ports, airports and border crossings. Such efforts require increased communications with colleagues in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“The best is being done to patrol the sea, but these drug smugglers don’t give up because it is a profitable business.” said a spokesman for Oman’s National Committee for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances
In 2017, alarmed by a rise in addiction among youth, Oman started a nationwide campaign in schools and universities to warn about the hazards of drug use. The slogan was “Life is wonderful — don’t spoil it with drugs.”
Source: The National