Drug Trafficking in the UAE - Essay Example

Running head: Drug Trafficking Drug Trafficking in the UAE The paper is a discussion of the current of the drug trafficking problem in the UAE and the developments that indicate the success of the authorities in controlling and preventing the problem. The data have been sourced and collated from the various news reports and institutional websites that comment on the research topic. Thereafter, the situation is analysed with the PESTEL framework as basis, and the drivers for and against the problem are integrated in a discourse on repercussions on national security. Finally, a brief commentary is provided on the measures adapted by law enforcers, and the benefits and constraints these have created that impact on UAE’s continued progress and prosperity as a nation. DRUG TRAFFICKING IN THE UAE Introduction The United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s fastest growing economies as well as tourist destinations (Emirates.org, 2007). Recently, the attraction of this region to international drug syndicates has heightened awareness by UAE authorities in addressing this danger. This brief paper shall highlight the drug trafficking problem that threatens the federation, and the measures that have been adopted within the past decade to ensure the region’s security. Concepts that will be discussed involve: drug trafficking, which includes the sales, distribution, possession with intent to distribute or sell, manufacturing, and smuggling of controlled substances (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn); drug abuse, which involves taking a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect (Nutt, King, Saulsbury, & Blakemore, 2007); drug possession, or the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one’s possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise (Rasmussen & Benson, 1994); and narcotics, which are drugs that produce numbness or stupor, and are often taken for pleasure or to reduce pain; extensive use can lead to addiction (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn). Developments in the drug trafficking problem The UAE has been lauded by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the UN organization that monitors anti-drug activities worldwide, for the efforts made by the federation to fight drug abuse and trafficking. Evidence of these have been documented by news articles in the media, some of the more recent and more remarkable of which are presented here: 1. The Emirati Navy, Coast Guards, and other maritime coalition forces operating in the Gulf cooperated through information exchange and maritime coalition, in the seizure of nearly 30 tonnes of hashish at sea in just four months. This is the result of regular bilateral exercises as well as systematic information exchange (Emirates News Agency, 2008). 2. The UAE provided invaluable support in the seizure of nearly 260 tonnes of hashish in a drug bust in Afghanistan. With UAE participation, the Gulf region leads the world in the matter of maritime cooperation, according to Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, then Commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command (Emirates News Agency, 2008). 3. In February 2009, a major attempt to smuggle drugs into Dubai was foiled a bid to smuggle 651,000 pills of Captagon, weighing more than 104 kilograms, into the country through the Cargo Village at the Dubai International Airport. The pills, purportedly a consignment containing “sewing thread reels” in carton boxes, was being sought to be cleared by a UAE resident of Arab Nationality, purportedly as samples intended for commercial marketing. The boxes were thereafter passed through an X-ray scanner, at which time customs inspectors noticed variations in the density of the reels. This aroused their suspicions and made them decide to upon one of the packages for manual examination. It was then that they discovered a large amount of pills stored inside the cavity separating the reels bodies from the threads coiled around them (see photo) (Emirates News Agency, 17 Feb 2009). Figure 1: Drugs stored in imported sewing thread reels 4. In 2007, Dubai Customs made 792 seizures and customs offences at the Cargo Village, and about 3,654 seizures in 2008 including 57 drug smuggling attempts. Recently, the agency announced the foiling of a major attempt to smuggle heroin through the Dubai International Airport, together with other huge and quality seizures such as antiquities, diamonds, fake medicines and other contraband (Emirates News Agency, 17 Feb 2009). There have been several measures undertaken, and are sought to be undertaken, in order to enhance the UAE’s capability to address this problem in the region. One of them, aimed at supplementing current military capabilities, there is a move to acquire new aircraft, as well as to train the next generation of potential manpower to address specifically contraband drugs (UAE Interact, 2008). In another development, pursuant to the policy of cooperation and collaboration with other nations on the matter of drug trafficking, top officials from the UAE Ministry of Interior and members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations met in June of this year to deliberate on ways by which cooperation between the two nations can be strengthened in order to strengthen the anti-drug campaign (Emirates News Agency, 2009). Furthermore, Dubai Customs participates annually in the celebration of International Day against Drug Abuse, held on the 26th of June. Activities include a mass media campaign and distribution of leaflets to heighten public awareness and vigilance on the dangers of drug abuse, as well as to inform the public on the efforts of Dubai Customs to prevent the entry of drugs through Dubai ports. This year, the Fifth Annual Forum to Discuss Drug Issues revolved on the theme “Drugs Federal Law, Reality and Expectations. Towards a more Modernised Law” (Emirates News Agency, 28 June 2009). Also, it was determined by a study by Dr. Mustafa Al Taher that a national fund is needed by the UAE which will be dedicated to the management, treatment, and control of addiction. One of the purposes of the fund is to create a comprehensive national data base “to identify the true scale and scope of the addiction phenomenon,” said the study, entitled “Criminal Handling of Addicts: Punishment and Treatment.” In order to deter the proliferation of drug addiction, Dr. Al Taher recommended more stringent incarceration sentences for those already convicted, and that greater leverage be lent religion as the key tool for prevention and control among the populace (Emirates News Agency, 2009). Finally, among the most significant developments in the fight against drugs is the deployment of highly sensitive equipment used for the detection of narcotic substances. According to Senior Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at Dubai Customs, Abdul Rahman Al Saleh, their success at foiling drug smuggling attempts is largely due to the use of state of the art equipment and their investment in human capital. Their recently deployed customs mobile laboratory equipment is equipped with sophisticated drug detection devices, while their inspectors undergo rigid training on the latest inspection techniques to curb smuggling and fraud, with the aim of protecting the country’s borders and enhancing and supporting the flow of legitimate trade (Emirates News Agency, 17 Feb 2009). Unfortunately, while the sensitive machines have been immensely helpful, they have also created a problem that contributed to the rise in arrests for drug possession, and a controversy concerning their implementation. The controversy surrounding UAE’s strict drug laws Due to stricter UAE laws, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of drug cases. Such cases are as a matter of standard procedure referred by the airport’s Public Prosecution office to court, with drug cases nearly doubling from 392 cases in 2006 to 609 in 2007. The Dubai International Airport is the first regional airport to house specialised prosecution office, the primary offence addressed being drug smuggling. Two public prosecutors on shift basis function at the airport 24 hours a day 7 days a week in order to speed up legal procedures when a crime happens (Za’za, 2008). According to the UAE’s Health Ministry website, individuals may bring medicines into the country for their personal, medical, use, but under strict procedures which must be observed even before arriving at the country. The official website states: “Up to three months supply of a prescription item can be brought in to the country by a visitor and 12-months supply by a resident if they can produce a doctors letter or a copy of the original prescription. Narcotic items should not be brought in to the country. In exceptional cases they can be brought in to the country but only with prior permission from the director of medicine and pharmacy control who will assess the individual case. These guidelines relate to medicines brought in by an individual through an airport or border crossing and medicines arriving by post" (UAE Ministry of Health, 2009). Arrests have been made for the smallest amount of prohibited substance – for instance, British tourist Keith Brown, who was on his way to London from Ethiopia with his wife with a brief stopover in Dubai, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment because 0.003 gram trace of cannabis was found stuck to his shoe. British resident Cat Le-Huy was carrying Melatonin jet-lag tablets, an over-the-counter drug in the United States, when he was arrested. Tracy Wilkinson, on the other hand, was held in custody for eight weeks before customs officials confirmed that the codeine she was carrying had been prescribed by her doctor for her back pains. In some instances, possession of painkillers such as codeine, and cold and flu medicines were also meted four-year prison sentences; and in another extreme case, a Swiss national is serving a four-year jail term when three poppy seeds from a bread roll he ate at Heathrow were found on his clothes (BBC News, 2008). Drivers that influence the drug trafficking problem: PESTEL Analysis Political The UAE is party and signatory to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. It is the State’s policy to cooperate with other governments, as well as the International Narcotics Control Board, in the process of identifying and arresting suspicious shipments that may be conduits for drug trafficking. Aside from this, the government is focusing on demand reduction in its domestic program. Public awareness campaigns are directed at young people in order to warn them of the insidiousness of the habit, and the establishment of rehabilitation centres for those already in the grip of drug addiction (Winslow, 2009). Economic A greater part of the illegal trafficking activities take place in the northern emirates, probably due to the sustained commercial and financial growth in the Emirate of Dubai, the location in the north of the country’s “free zones” and prominence of Dubai and Sharjah as regional centers in passenger and cargo transport, respectively. Uncorroborated statistics for 1996 show authorities handling 271 cases, resulting in the seizure of 5 tons of narcotics. This increased to 1,234 cases in 1997 when nearly 8 tons of narcotics were seized, and by June 2008 a total of 5 tons of narcotics were seized in only 74 cases. In comparison, available data regarding the Abu Dhabi emirate indicate that 55 cases were prosecuted in 1997, majority of which were for possession and use of narcotics, not for drug trafficking (Winslow, 2009). Social UAE officials believe that Muslim religious mores and severe prison sentences for those convicted of drug offences would serve as deterrents to the continued proliferation of narcotics abuse (Winslow, 2009). This conclusion has been likewise arrived at by Dr. Mustafa Al Taher, in his study of drug abuse deterrence in the UAE. Dr. Al Taher noted and strongly recommended that religion be accorded a greater leverage because it is the key tool for prevention of narcotics abuse, particularly among the impressionable youth in society (Emirates News Agency, 2009). Technological The UAE has acquired state of the art drug detection equipment and employs the most advanced modern drug investigation techniques to deter drug smuggling and abuse. Dubai’s mobile lab and check-up machines are capable of detecting as little as 0.2 grams of an illicit drug on a person’s clothing or possessions (Emirates News Agency, 28 June 2009). Environmental The UAE is not a narcotics-producing nation, and there is no evidence of drug cultivation or production anywhere in the country. However, it has emerged as a vital transhipment point for the trafficking of illegal narcotics, due mainly to its favourable geographical location proximate to the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf and its role as a “free trade” zone and regional hub for international air travel. Unofficial sources indicate that hashish, heroin, and opium that originate in Southeast and Southwest Asia are smuggled in cargo containers, small vessels, and trucks coming overland from Oman are reaching the U.S. in increasing volume (Winslow, 2009). Furthermore, its ideal location makes it the transit point to disguise the final destination of chemicals that are used in illegal drug manufacture in other countries, most especially heroin manufacture in Afghanistan. The UAE government is aware that the chemicals appear to originate in China, India and Europe (Winslow, 2009). Law According to the Australian Government’s Travel Advice (2009), the UAE has a zero tolerance towards illegal drugs, penalties for which include the death sentence or life imprisonment. It also comes with the advice that medications that would normally be bought over the counter or by prescription in Australia may be illegal in the UAE (smartraveller.gov.au, 2009). Likewise, the US Department of State travel advisory states that violent crimes in the UAE, while they do occur, are rare because of the country’s strict criminal law enforcement and penalties that may appear harsh by US standards. The country’s crime rate is considered extremely low among most industrialized countries (US Dept. of State, 2009). Possession of the smallest amount of illegal drugs is punishable by a minimum prison term of four years (UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 2009). The bringing in of personal medications by sojourners is possible, but only with the necessary prior permit or documented recommendation by the physician of the necessity of taking the medication (UAE Ministry of Health, 2009). It has been speculated that the inadequacy of money laundering legislation is a source of vulnerability for the UAE, and has made it a target by narcotics traffickers and organized criminal syndicates for money laundering (Winslow, 2009). While a law was passed against money laundering activities in January 2002, despite government efforts, informal banking remains unregulated (The CIA World Factbook, 2009). National security and the problem of drug trafficking In 2006, President H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan created by federal law a Higher National Security Council, the objective of which is to ensure comprehensive and continued federation security in the nation’s economic, social, cultural and environmental governance. The council is chaired by the UAE President, and vice-chaired by the UAE Vice President and Prime Minister. The council shall determine the federation’s security policies, including draft legislation to support the national security strategic plan, directing the various state security organs in improving their respective national security strategies, and to enhance coordination among them, thus boosting their capabilities to manage any crisis or disaster Emirates News Agency, 2006). Sometime, in 2007, the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) was created. It was conceived as a vital instrument in the federal strategy to bolster the country’s security (Emirates News Agency, 10 Feb 2009). Since its creation, the NCEMA had engaged in activities that actively promoted awareness and dialogue in national security issues affecting the federation. In 2009 it held the first regional Crisis and Emergency Management Conference (CEMC), under the auspices of H.H. General Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu. In 2010, it plans to hold the second annual CEMS in January in Abu Dhabi (AMEinfo.com, 9 December 2009). These and other efforts of the United Arab Emirates to coordinate and initiate new collaborative efforts among its member emirates are instrumental in advancing and understanding of the drug trafficking problem, and in hopefully providing favourable solutions thereto. The UAE, it must be recalled, is not a single nation but a federation of seven emirates that have their own governments and their own responses to the problem of drug trafficking. This is because they are affected in different ways and different degrees by the problem of illicit narcotics. Thus, the institution of the Higher National Security Council, as well as the National Crisis Emergency Management Authority, are crucial developments in enhancing and unifying the efforts of the individual emirates not only concerning the drug problem, but also all other issues that bear on national security. Another important issue on the matter of drug trafficking and control is the increasing strict law being implemented on drug possession by foreigners and sojourners into Dubai. Admittedly, most Arab cultures as well as countries such as Singapore are known have laws mandating severe penalties for possession of prohibited substances. The reaction concerning Dubai laws, however, is not only the strict regulations but also the extremely tiny substances, in some cases trace evidence, of the substances found, and in many cases the nature of the substance. Those medications in other countries that are considered regular medication or over-the-counter medicines may be banned substances in Dubai. And, in the case of Keith Brown with the 0.003 gram cannabis in the thread of his shoe, or the Swiss national with the three poppy seeds that fell from his bread roll onto his clothing, the penalty could appear draconian for the circumstances of the alleged offence. It is seen from such incidences that while the extremely sensitive machines may be of great help in apprehending real perpetrators, it may have enabled the detection of substances under circumstances not originally contemplated by the law. As Dubai and the rest of the UAE gears up for more tourist arrivals and accelerated volume of business with foreign entities, the stricter implementation of present laws may spawn a rise in arrests and convictions of the sort presented, and cause undue friction between the federation and other nations. It may therefore be apropos that legislation may be adapted in order to fine-tune implementation of local laws to the recent technological developments. Conclusion Drug addiction is a real threat to the well-being of generations to come, in every nation of the world. Organized drug syndicates have become increasingly sophisticated in finding ways to ply their trade because of the hundreds of millions of dollars it is capable of generating throughout the world. The UAE is in a precarious situation, because of its economic progress and geographic location, to be attacked by this threat. It is thus creditable to the vigilance and ingenuity of the country’s leadership and crimefighting agencies that the country’s drug problems are kept at a very low level. On the other hand, UAE is faced with increasing international criticism concerning the unintended effects of its strict laws. 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