Bahrain intensifies steps to check drug menace
Brij Sharma
June 21, 2009
The authorities in Bahrain have intensified their efforts to crack down on the drug menace on all fronts. The Kingdom has begun to invest in state-of-the-art equipment to counter their activities, a strategy which is paying off, according to the head of the anti-narcotics directorate at the Ministry of Interior, Major Mubarak bin Huwail.
Since January 151 attempts to smuggle drugs, including hashish and heroin, have been thwarted at the Causeway linking the country to Saudi Arabia as well at the airport. In addition, higher levels of vigilance have also led to seizures of large caches inside the country. In one case at the airport, 12kg of drugs were seized, Major Mubarak said.
And keeping in view that since the beginning of the year there have been 10 drug addiction-related deaths – a big figure considering Bahrain is a city state of less than a million people – the government has also widened awareness campaigns, especially targeting schools, community centres, shopping malls and even mosques where the anti-narcotics directorate officers frequently deliver lectures or hold seminars. Radio programmes also highlight the social evils of drug addiction and hold interactive programmes. The Minister of Interior has also ordered the setting up of a rehabilitation centre for the addicts which should be operational by December, said the director, adding that it would be able to take care of up to 300 cases.
Referring to the airport seizure, Major Mubarak was quoted as telling a local daily: "The drugs were brought in from Kabul on a Malaysian flight which stopped over in Bahrain. In addition to this, last year, our officers seized 142 kg of hashish smuggled over sea. These drugs are illegally brought into the Kingdom for personal use or for trafficking purposes." To tighten its grip on the menace, the directorate is also coordinating to install equipment at ports and airports to detect drugs hidden by an individual in his body.
As if to affirm its serious resolve to tackle the problem, the authorities have also installed a hotline for people to report any drug-related cases and the country is planning to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Friday June 26.
Brij Sharma is an journalist based in Bahrain.
Since January 151 attempts to smuggle drugs, including hashish and heroin, have been thwarted at the Causeway linking the country to Saudi Arabia as well at the airport. In addition, higher levels of vigilance have also led to seizures of large caches inside the country. In one case at the airport, 12kg of drugs were seized, Major Mubarak said.
And keeping in view that since the beginning of the year there have been 10 drug addiction-related deaths – a big figure considering Bahrain is a city state of less than a million people – the government has also widened awareness campaigns, especially targeting schools, community centres, shopping malls and even mosques where the anti-narcotics directorate officers frequently deliver lectures or hold seminars. Radio programmes also highlight the social evils of drug addiction and hold interactive programmes. The Minister of Interior has also ordered the setting up of a rehabilitation centre for the addicts which should be operational by December, said the director, adding that it would be able to take care of up to 300 cases.
Referring to the airport seizure, Major Mubarak was quoted as telling a local daily: "The drugs were brought in from Kabul on a Malaysian flight which stopped over in Bahrain. In addition to this, last year, our officers seized 142 kg of hashish smuggled over sea. These drugs are illegally brought into the Kingdom for personal use or for trafficking purposes." To tighten its grip on the menace, the directorate is also coordinating to install equipment at ports and airports to detect drugs hidden by an individual in his body.
As if to affirm its serious resolve to tackle the problem, the authorities have also installed a hotline for people to report any drug-related cases and the country is planning to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Friday June 26.
Brij Sharma is an journalist based in Bahrain.
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