UAE helps global alliance seize 822 tonnes of drugs worth $2.9b

With the participation of the United Arab Emirates, the International Security Alliance (ISA) successfully carried out a joint anti-drug operation targeting transnational criminal groups involved in drug smuggling valued at $2.9 billion.

The operation was carried out in cooperation between 25 countries around the world and several international police organisations. 

This is the second operation carried out by air, sea, and land by the alliance and resulted in the seizure of more than 822 tonnes of various types of cross-border drugs and the arrest of 12,564 suspects around the world. 

Several member states of the International Security Alliance participated in the two-month operation: United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Spain, Morocco, France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Italy. 

The participating countries from the American Police Organisation (Ameripol) were: Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela, and Peru. 

From the European Union Organization for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), there was Croatia and Belgium. Also the Maldives, Jordan, and Nepal took part in the operation. 

This intensive cooperation contributed to gathering information on new criminal networks, exchanging expertise on drug smuggling methods, unifying the efforts of the Alliance and its partners in combating narcotics, and building bilateral relations between specialized experts.

This enhanced the efficiency of field coordination, raised the level of joint preparedness, and developed proactive mechanisms to counter and control cross-border (illicit) drug flows. 

It is worth noting that ISA is a framework established in 2017 by France and the United Arab Emirates with the aim of enhancing cooperation and building partnerships among member states to address common security challenges. 

The Alliance focuses on issues of global significance, foremost among which is combating transnational organized crime, adopting an approach that combines high-level strategic cooperation with operational field participation, ensuring the best results in combating criminal offenses. 

In addition to its main objectives, the Alliance also contributes to consolidating the UAE’s role and position as an effective force in shaping the international security agenda and enhancing its influence by building extensive strategic partnerships at the regional and global levels.

Recently, Dubai Police, represented by the Hemaya International Centre at the General Department of Anti-Narcotics, in cooperation with the Criminal Information Centre on Drugs for the GCC, have said that they will organise a workshop titled “Preventing the Exploitation of Social Media for Drug Promotion” this October in Dubai.

WAM