Precursor chemicals major challenge in fight against drugs

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina has warned that the use of synthetic drugs has been on the rise globally and they are a major threat to the young people and community. Since 1997, the UAE authorities have not caught any plant or laboratories for manufacturing drugs with the purpose of selling them domestically or exporting them abroad, he noted. However, there were factories which imported chemicals that could be used to manufacture drugs and then re-exported them to other countries, particularly Asian countries, where they had been misused, he said. The authorities in the UAE have been trying to curb such practices. Maj-Gen Al Mazeina was speaking on the sidelines of the Hemaya International Forum on Drugs which concluded in Dubai last week. He said precursor chemicals constitute a significant challenge to the police authorities because they are used in manufacturing not only drugs but also several ordinary products like medicines, cosmetics, plastics and even dyes. This means that the authorities have to watch for the import of such chemicals and their end usage. Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Medical Practices and Licensing, said the ministry in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the police authorities are supervising and inspecting pharmaceutical factories on a regular basis and keep an eye on the manufactured products. He stressed that all pharmaceutical plants in the UAE, including eight medicine factories, are under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. Thirteen more such factories would be opened in the next three years. Dr Al Amiri said precursor chemicals are used in manufacturing perfumes, paints, cosmetics, chemicals and plastics and other industries, and the authorities concerned have found some plants misusing them but the number of such cases has dropped. The ministry is coordinating with customs authorities to watch for the entry of precursor chemicals into the country.