Over 1,000kg of drugs worth Dh200m seized in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi - The police had last year launched multiple anti-drug campaigns, including the 'My Life is Priceless' drive.

More than 1,000kg of drugs worth Dh200 million were seized from dealers and smugglers in Abu Dhabi during 2018, according to the Abu Dhabi Police.
Maktoum Ali Al Sharifi, director-general of Abu Dhabi Police, said that the security personnel carried out a number of operations across the emirate to combat drug trafficking.
In one of the operations reported in October last year, the police confiscated more than 17kg of drugs while arresting five Asian men in separate cases. The suspects were allegedly selling the narcotics to "youngsters across the country".
"We have waged a relentless war against drug traffickers. Our anti-smuggling officers use unique techniques and modern technology to detect smuggling activities," said Al Sharifi.
He added: "Police have succeeded, through several initiatives and with cooperation from various agencies, in rehabilitating many drug addicts and helped them transform their lives while integrating them back into the society."
The police had last year launched multiple anti-drug campaigns, including the 'My Life is Priceless' drive.
The campaign focused on the youth, families and parents. It saw the police visit community councils, private institutes, schools and clubs of Arab and foreign communities.
The officer urged parents to be vigilant to ensure their children are not lured into drugs. He also asked the community members and authorities to work together in the fight against drugs.
Al Sharifi noted that all plans and programmes approved by Abu Dhabi Police are based on six strategic priorities including fighting crime, safer city, community confidence, security and safety, effective management of police organisation and optimal use of human resources.
According to the 2018 leadership in society indicator, people's confidence in Abu Dhabi Police reached 98.8 per cent while satisfaction with services provided by the police force stood at 98 per cent.

3.7% drop in crime in 2018