430 drug-related cases filed in Q1 of 2018: statistics

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Lieut-Gen Al-Dosari presides over first coordination meet of NCDC’s top panel

KUWAIT CITY, April 12: Interior Ministry Undersecretary Lieutenant General Mahmoud Al-Dosari presided over the first coordination meeting of the higher committee for the National Committee for Drugs Control (NCDC) at the ministry’s headquarters. Present at the meeting were officials from the ministries of Interior, Information, Youth, Health, Education, Higher Education and Awqaf; as well as Kuwait University and Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). Assistant Undersecretary for Criminal Security Affairs Major General Khaled Al-Dayeen also attended the meeting.

In his speech, Al-Dosari stressed the importance of the meeting in exchanging ideas and opinions on one of the dangerous social, health, psychological and economic challenges — drug addiction. He explained that drug addiction poses a threat to the nation, its wealth and future — the youths. He affirmed the concerned agencies will exhaust all means to address the issue. He said the higher leadership of the security establishment puts drug control and protection of youths as top priorities, while working on several agendas aimed at combating the modern plague – drugs.

He urged all those present at the meeting to work in a transparent and objective manner based on the scientific principle, lay down a plan to protect this nation from drugs, and carry out a comprehensive national campaign to realize objectives. He presented the mechanism for forming a special committee, whose members are from participating bodies, to execute and set up the work agenda of the National Awareness Project against Drugs (Ghiras); in addition to the mechanism of the higher committee of the National Committee for Drugs Control. He underscored the need for the higher committee to include officials from the Customs General Department, considering it is the first line of defense against drug smuggling.

This is in addition to the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) and other educational institutions, which should work together in raising public awareness on the harmful effects of drugs.

According to the latest statistics presented by Major Ahmad Yaseen from the Criminal Security Department; 430 drug-related cases were filed in the first quarter of 2018; while 547,996 brain stimulants; 8,304 bottles of alcohol; 71 kilograms of hashish; 10 kilograms of crystal meth, 16 kilograms of heroin and 35 kilograms of marijuana were confiscated. He also reported about the deportation of 154 individuals involved in drug-related cases and 30 deaths caused by drug overdose. Brigadier Badar Al-Ghudhawri from the Fight against Drugs General Department revealed that 1,471 cases were recorded in 2017; 1,944 individuals were arrested; and about half ton of narcotics (hashish and heroin) and 2.5 million ecstasy pills were confiscated.

Al-Ghudhawri added the number of drug overdose deaths in 2012 totaled 86, 88 in 2013, 63 in 2014 and 2015; indicating the number dropped significantly in 2016 – 33 deaths, and then increased again to 68 in 2017. “So far, 30 deaths caused by drug overdose were registered in the first quarter of this year,” Al- Ghudhawri disclosed. He enumerated some factors leading to this unfortunate phenomenon such as the lopsided population structure, particularly the growing population of non- Kuwaiti youths who are above 29 years old as their number reached 364,000 compared to 93,000 Kuwaitis. The “danger lies in Kuwaitis being enticed by these non-Kuwaitis to the abyss of drugs and consumption,” he concluded.

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