MORE than 130kg of hashish was seized in Bahrain from January 1 until May 31 this year, it has emerged.
More than 114gm of heroin, 8kg of marijuana as well as a large quantity of mind-altering substances were also confiscated across the kingdom during the last five months.
It follows the Anti-Narcotics Directorate ramping up measures to clamp down on drug dealing and trafficking in the country.
“Fighting narcotics is a community responsibility. It requires joint efforts of the government and society,” Criminal Investigation and Forensic Evidence General Directorate’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate Operations division head Captain Abdullah Ismael said.
A total of 149 cases of drug dealing were registered in Bahrain during the first half of this year.
Attempts
Alert officers also foiled numerous smuggling bids – with 186 seizures made at Bahrain International Airport, six at King Fahad Causeway and one at Khalifa Bin Salman Port.
Police swooped down on offenders with 273 drug dealers and addicts – 254 men and 19 women – arrested until May this year.
Captain Ismael revealed the statistics during the Interior Ministry’s weekly Al Amn radio show as the country marks International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking today.
He stressed the need for awareness to tackle drug abuse.
“There are different signs to observe in a person suspected of suffering from addiction and families need to be aware of these,” he said.
Effects
“One of the main effects is a drop in productivity – whether at work or school, and it should serve as a wake-up call.
“A drug addict may spend more time in isolation. There could be significant changes in his sleep pattern and appetite as well.
“The person may suffer from mood swings and show a lack of interest in appearance, depending on the type of drug they are addicted to.”
The GDN previously reported a drop in the number of drug-users arrested in the past three years – from 1,462 in 2018 to 1,429 in 2019 and 519 last year, while the number of people arrested for promoting drugs was 418 in 2018, 408 in 2019 and 284 last year.
Statistics released by the Interior Ministry’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate also showed more than a 50 per cent drop in the number of drug seizures – from 1,547 in 2019 to 729 cases last year, while 1,559 cases were registered in 2018.
“Addicts are desperately in need of money and would keep asking for more,” Captain Ismael pointed out.
“They may even steal goods or sell their mother’s gold to secure money for narcotics.
“Once we see a drop in the number of addicts and a rise in those rehabilitated, we will also witness a decrease in crimes of assault and theft that accompany narcotics abuse.”
Captain Ismael called for joint global efforts to clamp down on drug trafficking which is an international crime.
“Addiction is a disease and the sooner a person is diagnosed and treated, the quicker the recovery.
“It is critical for parents to be more aware and monitor their children’s friends, social media use, and surrounding environment.
“The community must come together to protect children from this serious ‘death-trap’ that costs young lives.”
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry’s main operation room received a total of 2,942 reports last week – of which 358 were in 24 hours.
reem@gdn.com.bh
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