Dubai Police assist in arresting 308 drug dealers worldwide, seizing 2.259 tonnes, 8 million pills in 2023

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Over the past year, the General Department of Anti-Narcotics at Dubai Police has provided 44 countries with 372 pieces of crucial intelligence as part of its commitment to combating the global organised crime of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. This resulted in the apprehension of 308 international suspects and the confiscation of 2 tons and 259 kilograms of illicit substances, including khat, cocaine, marijuana, and heroin, in addition to the seizure of 7 million and 920 thousand narcotic pills.

During the same period, the General Department achieved the monitoring and blocking of 1,923 accounts belonging to drug dealers on a range of social media platforms.

Major General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, has confirmed that the results of the arrests of drug dealers and the seizure of large quantities of narcotics and pills are in line with the Dubai International Police's efforts to combat drugs through the deployment of specialised teams and the utilisation of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies in this field, in addition to close cooperation with law enforcement agencies around the world.

He highlighted that the Dubai Police Force is committed to fostering international collaboration in the fight against organised crime, with the aim of enhancing the protection, security and safety of communities. Over recent years, the force has made significant qualitative contributions to the fight against crime in all its forms, he added.

Five Years of Efforts

Brigadier Khalid bin Muwaiza, Acting Director of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics, emphasised the significance of international collaboration in combating drug trafficking.

“The Dubai Police have made noteworthy progress in combating drugs internationally over the past five years, including the dissemination of 894 pieces of information to 74 countries worldwide, which led to the apprehension of 550 international suspects and the seizure of 29 tons and 450 kilograms of drugs,” Muwaiza said.

He highlighted that the Dubai Police, in collaboration with its international counterparts, have conducted a series of sophisticated operations to combat drug trafficking. Among these, Operation Sugar Cane stands out, resulting in the apprehension of a prominent member of one of the most significant organised crime networks engaged in illicit activities between South America and Europe. This network was found to be smuggling cocaine concealed within sugar shipments, with the seizure of 22 tons of sugar mixed with cocaine. Another notable operation is Operation Vidaustatin, which led to the dismantling of a vast international criminal network involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

Local efforts

Brigadier Khalid Bin Muwaiza confirmed that the General Department of Anti-Narcotics at Dubai Police is maintaining pace with its international efforts and those at the local level through the deployment of specialised field teams tasked with protecting society from the detrimental effects of drugs, crubing their spread and apprehending their dealers and promoters, particularly in light of the emergence of new methods for the promotion and smuggling of drugs.

He indicated that the Dubai Police had been able to uncover a number of significant drug-related cases at the local level, most notably Operation Storm, which had successfully thwarted the smuggling of considerable quantities of Captagon, weighing in excess of 13 tons.

Brigadier Khalid Bin Muwaiza emphasized that the General Department of Anti-Narcotics complements its international initiatives with local efforts through specialized field teams dedicated to protecting the community from drug-related issues. He indicated that these teams focus on preventing the spread of drugs and apprehending traffickers and dealers, particularly as new methods of drug promotion and smuggling emerge.

Bin Muwaiza noted that their operations have successfully protected society against narcotics in all forms, including Operation "Storm", where Dubai Police's efforts led to the seizure of Captagon pills weighing more than 13 tons.

In addition to the field efforts in the control operations, the Dubai Police, through the International Protection Center, have implemented ongoing awareness campaigns. During the past year, the center has implemented 333 community awareness student programs, reaching 13 million, 202 thousand, and 634 beneficiaries of various nationalities. Furthermore, the total number of beneficiaries of the awareness efforts published through social media platforms reached 13 million, 96 thousand, and 344.