Qatar Customs face increased drug trafficking this year
There has been an increase in the quantity of drugs seized by the Customs this year as compared to the previous year, a senior official has said
Without giving any figures, he said the Customs personnel were committed to their work and “this could be seen from the large quantity of drugs they have seized and also stopped from being smuggled into the country”.
“Qatar Customs maintains records of drugs seized on a daily basis and the figures show an increase compared to the previous months,” Ahmed bin Ali al-Mohannadi, Director-General of the General Authority of Customs, said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a programme organised by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Lankmark mall recently.
The General Authority of Customs is taking part in the programme organised to mark the day, which was opened by Staff Major General Saad bin Jassim al-Khulaifi, Director-General of Public Security and chairman of the Permanent Committee for Drugs and Alcohol Affairs.
On the sidelines of the activities is an exhibition in which 176 government and civil departments working in the anti-narcotics campaign are taking part. The exhibition will run until June 26.
The General Authority of Customs has put together several public awareness activities, such as showing samples of drugs it has confiscated in different parts of the country, to instruct visitors about the different kinds of drugs and the negative effects of each.
The authority is also showcasing pictures of its successful drug seizures as well as distributing different publications to visitors, like the Customs magazine, and information on drug seizures in Qatar in 2014.
Al-Mohannadi said his department was pleased to participate in the annual activities of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking because of the important role played by the Customs in preventing the smuggling of drugs into the country, and that these activities were very important in creating awareness among the public about the danger drugs pose to society.
He praised the co-operation of the Customs with other departments at the MoI, especially in the field of fighting drug usage. “Qatar employs the latest means to prevent smuggling of illegal things into the country.”
Further, he stressed that fighting the menace of narcotics required co-operation from different departments in the country and the public, adding that individuals in the society were the first partners in awareness campaigns. Al-Mohannadi also urged the public to benefit from the ongoing exhibition.
The events held in Qatar as part of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking are being conducted under the auspices of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. The theme for this year is “Our children are our responsibility”.
