KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior was on Wednesday recognized with two awards for its distinguished role in combating drugs at both the Arab and international levels. The awards were presented during the 39th Arab Conference of Heads of Drug Control Agencies, which kicked off in Tunisia under the chairmanship of Brigadier General Mohammad Qabazard, Director General of the General Department of Drug Control at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior.
Kuwait received the first award for the best operational field information cooperation at the Arab level and the second for the best operational field information cooperation at the international level. The awards are granted annually by the Council of Arab Interior Ministers to the leading anti-drug agencies across Arab countries. The conference agenda includes discussions on organizing an annual Arab Week for Drug Prevention and Control, developments in drug production and consumption patterns, smuggling methods, enforcement strategies, and their impact on the Arab region. It will also review the outcomes of Arab and international meetings on drugs for the 2024–2025 period.
The event brings together heads of drug control agencies from Arab countries, along with representatives from the Criminal Information Center for Drug Control of the GCC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the European Union Project against Organized Crime and Terrorism, the EU Agency for Drugs and Crime, and the International Protection Center. The aim is to strengthen joint Arab security coordination in addressing the drug challenge. The Kuwaiti delegation includes Brigadier General Qabazard, Colonel Abdullah Al-Rabiah, Director of the International Drug Control Department, and First Lieutenant Abdulhadi Al-Attar, an officer in the General Department for Drug Control.
Director General of the General Department of Drug Control at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior, Brigadier General Mohammed Mustafa Qabazard, chairs the conference.- KUNA photos
The 39th Arab Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Agencies kicks off, chaired by Kuwait.
Secretary-General of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers Mohammad Koman highlighted in a speech the need for Arab states to maintain vigilance and enhance cooperation to combat the growing threats posed by narcotics and psychotropic substances. He pointed out that the rapid evolution of the illicit drug trade and the continuous efforts by criminal networks to develop new smuggling methods impose increasing challenges on anti-drug agencies.
Koman stressed the importance of joint Arab security coordination, particularly through the immediate exchange of information on narcotics and psychotropic substances. He also discussed proposals to establish an Arab Drug Observatory and to reformulate the Arab strategy to combat the illicit use of these substances. He emphasized the critical role of prevention and awareness campaigns, including a proposal to organize an annual Arab Week for Drug Prevention and Control, noting the effectiveness of similar initiatives such as the Arab Traffic Week and the Arab Week for Awareness of Extremism and Terrorism.
The conference also serves as a platform for exchanging expertise and reviewing national plans for drug control, as well as assessing recent trends in narcotics production, consumption, and trafficking. Prior to the conference, a meeting of the Working Group on the Immediate Exchange of Information on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances was held on Tuesday, providing an early warning mechanism for member states to share intelligence on new substances, smuggling methods, and drug shipments. — KUNA
