Manama, June 22 (BNA) The Minister of Interior and Chairman of the National Anti-Narcotics Committee, Lieutenant-General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, attended today the celebration of the International Day for Combating Drugs and Illicit Trafficking.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Minister of Information Affairs, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs, Inspector General, Deputy Chief of Public Security and senior officials.
The Minister of Interior expressed his thanks and appreciation for the sincere efforts of the committee and the role of the Anti-Narcotics Directorate and all security agencies in protecting society.
The Minister highlighted the ongoing work to launch an interactive national initiative to combat drugs for all segments of society. He explained that the fight against drugs is the responsibility of society through the cooperation of all organizations within an integrated community partnership system.
He pointed out the importance of continuous security awareness within an innovative approach to combating negative phenomena and addressing their impact on civil peace. He praised the launch of the second version of the national plan to combat narcotics and psychotropic substances, to contribute to the success of the first version, which was launched in 2015.
The Director General of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science gave a speech on the occasion of the launch of the second version of the plan under the supervision of the committee and with the participation of 24 governmental and national institutions. He said that the first phase of the plan achieved a success rate of 97% by implementing 257 initiatives. The achievements reflect the security, legislative and preventive efforts of the Directorate in cooperation with the relevant security authorities and the constructive community partnership.
In this context, the regional director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Hatem Ali, praised the cooperation between Bahrain and the office to meet international standards.
The Director of the Arab Bureau for Combating Drugs and Organized Crimes, Brigadier General Muhammad Ali Al-Rawashdeh, confirmed the directorate’s achievements. He also praised the active community partnership between non-governmental organizations in Bahrain to promote awareness of the dangers of drug abuse.
A documentary film was shown on the success of the first version of the plan and the efforts of the team charged with following up on the achievements of the plan’s goals.
Subsequently, the Minister of Interior launched the second version of the 2022-2026 plan that includes a community security partnership to combat drug abuse, develop supervision and enhance the role of society, media and religious organizations.
The Minister of Interior honored the employees of the security directorates for their role in the fight against drugs. He wished them success in serving the country.
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