Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic ... - menafatf

Third: Regional role in combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances at the Gulf level:
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are now suffering from illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs
and psychotropic substances like the rest of the world due to high standard of living and stability,
and their strategic location making them a meeting point between producing and consuming
countries; moreover, they are the consumers of many kinds of narcotics and psychotropic
substances smuggled into these states through their ports and across their air, sea and land borders.
The INCB report for 2010 mentioned that the Arabian Peninsula is mainly used as a transit area for
smuggling heroin from Afghanistan into other Arab countries. Cocaine originating in South
America reaches the region through Europe and cannabis remains the drug most widely abused in
the Arabian Peninsula.
The INCB praises the efforts made by governments and their combating bodies in the region which
achieve positive results in the field of combating drugs, and in particular the GCC states (State of
Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman,
and State of Qatar) and which believe in one destiny and one goal binding their people and seek
coordination, cooperation and integration among them to achieve noble goals for the Arab nation.
In the field of combating drugs, the Gulf bodies are as follows:
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1- The Annual Meeting of Heads of Drugs Combating Bodies that discusses the drug
problem in the GCC states and seeks to enhance cooperation and coordination among
them in the field of combating drugs.
2- GCC Criminal Information Center to Combat Drugs (GCC-CICCD) seeks to enhance
cooperation among the GCC states in the field of combating illicit trafficking in
narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals, coordinate joint
efforts in combating and prevention against drugs and improving capacities of the drug
combating bodies in the GCC states.
The regional role in combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances is
not limited to field efforts such as arrest of involved criminal groups and persons, seizure and
destruction of drugs cultivation areas or laboratories of Captagon manufacturing. This role extends
to include ongoing coordination among combating agencies in the Arab region through regular
groups and bilateral meetings, exchange of information and operations of controlled delivery in
drug cargoes in order to detect all parties involved in illicit drugs trafficking.
Image 7
Seizure of a quantity of heroin
smuggled by swallowing