The new drug law, enacted a few months ago, is a significant and necessary step in dealing with the pervasive issue of drug abuse and trafficking, reflecting the need for stricter penalties. However, we wish to present certain observations to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef. We believe these points are vital in strengthening national social security and it will result in substantial financial savings for the State. The main concern is the composition of the smuggling population, which predominantly consists of foreigners, notably from Iran, other Arab countries and Asian countries.
Imposing long-term prison sentence on these individuals puts a considerable financial strain on public funds. More importantly, their presence in the correctional system undermines efforts to combat drug abuse. They do not only pose the high risk of encouraging non-users to consume narcotics, but also engage in a form of ‘brainwashing’. This allows them to exploit other inmates for drug use or trafficking. Furthermore, these foreign inmates serve as conduits, exchanging and relaying information about smuggling techniques to their networks outside the prison.
Along with local dealers, these individuals establish and operate an internal drug distribution network within the prison facilities. Despite the prison administration’s efforts to uncover and disrupt such operations, the tactics of these criminals keep on evolving. The constant innovation is designed to attract more users, tragically prompting non-users to be involved due to curiosity or inability to resist the false and dangerous promise of euphoria.
Here, we must acknowledge that prisons function as self-contained societies, often characterized by widespread illicit activities. Crimes such as theft, forgery, drug use, rape and others are common in correctional facilities. Despite the efforts of the police and the General Directorate of Correctional Facilities, it is a known reality that criminals are often a step ahead, even when they are incarcerated.
This raises a crucial question regarding non-Kuwaiti prisoners: Why is immediate deportation not the standard policy? When a non-Kuwaiti individual is sentenced, regardless of nationality, the most logical and cost-effective procedure is immediate deportation to the country of origin. The embassy should be notified about the case. This will transfer the responsibility for his care to his own government, eliminating the enormous cost incurred by the State of Kuwait for long-term imprisonment, followed by deportation. Similarly, if the sentence is death, why delay the execution? Once all three levels of appeal are completed, the execution should be carried out immediately.
The presence of long-term death row inmates in Kuwait, some incarcerated for several years, is an ongoing danger to others and it costs the State so much. This cost could be mitigated and swift action will prevent diplomatic interference. It is acknowledged that the new law addresses drug use by focusing on treatment, recognizing that addicts require psychological support first, before medication.
Nevertheless, this approach led to relapses, as some individuals committed more crimes and even turned into drug dealers. Financial desperation prompts some to sell drugs in schools, turning this innocent segment of society into a target for major traffickers. Numerous reports highlight the severity of this issue. The worsening drug epidemic is an alarming societal vulnerability. For solutions to be effective, eliminating smugglers and dealers through all means must be the priority.
