Dh1bn worth of drug used by ISIS fighters is seized in Abu Dhabi
More than Dh1 billion worth of powerful amphetamines used by ISIS for “chemical courage” have been seized by Abu Dhabi Police.
The latest police report showed officers last year seized 20.08 million Captagon pills worth Dh1.02bn last year.
Police said the latest detection technology and artificial intelligence played crucial roles in gathering evidence to help secure prosecutions.
Marc Martinez, senior analyst at Abu Dhabi think tank the Delma Institute, said the annual figure was surprisingly low, suggesting drug traffickers were avoiding the capital because of improved detection methods.
“Because of its port and airport infrastructure, the UAE is seen as a major hub for drug trafficking,” Mr Martinez said.
“The UAE is hours away from Afghanistan where 90 per cent of the world opium is produced, and from Syria where Captagon has been produced to finance the activities of terrorist and criminal organisations.
“Captagon is rarely used in the UAE but the country is the entry point to the European and US markets. It is also the entry point toward one of the drug’s largest markets, Saudi Arabia.”
The UAE is on the front line of the war against drugs. The Delma Institute said security forces seized 12 million pills in 2015 and 33 million in 2014, preventing them from destroying lives elsewhere in the world.
Captagon is used by ISIS to keep its fighters hyper-alert and it can also cause psychosis.
The Syrian conflict has created a security vacuum that has allowed traffickers to thrive.
“As the conflict is progressively diminishing in intensity, it is crucial to prevent Syria from becoming a new Afghanistan where instability, insecurity and poverty made the country the main producer and distributor of opium-based drugs,” Mr Martinez said.
Last month, security officials said drug traffickers linked to Hezbollah had been intercepted and arrested during attempts to smuggle drugs into the UAE to fund the militant group.
Intelligence experts linked the arrests to an Iran-backed Lebanese network of dealers working with radical groups to corrupt young people across the GCC.
“Captagon is similar to amphetamines and is often used to lose weight or suppress appetite,” said Dr Walid Abdul-Hamid, clinical director and psychiatrist at the Priory Wellbeing Centre in Dubai. “It can also be hallucinogenic, particularly in high doses.
“Captagon is more common in the Arabian Peninsula as the drug of choice for many young people but it’s not clear why. I’ve practised for 40 years in the UK and have seen drugs prescribed safely there that have more potency on the population in this region.
“There could be a genetic or cultural variation of the effects of these kind of drugs. We know some drugs have a different effect on some ethnic groups, causing more elation or extreme experiences.”
Captagon has been used in medicine to treat hyperactivity disorders in children, but since its addictive properties were discovered it has been largely abandoned. In adults, amphetamines are commonly used as recreational stimulants.
In November 2014, Dubai declared one of its biggest drug busts when three Syrian men were caught trying to smuggle more than 17 million Captagon pills through Jebel Ali Port.
The drug is cheap and potent, and can be used by anyone who has to work 15 hours a day, or soldiers on the battlefield. Its low cost makes it popular with the region’s migrant population.
“There is a link with terrorist groups using Captagon to keep soldiers alert during battle, and we know students use it to stay alert during exams,” Dr Abdul-Hamid said.
“Psychosis is also a factor and users can lose touch with reali- ty and begin seeing or hearing things. That is something terrorists may want to use within their organisation.
“It usually has the opposite effect in children but we know it is addictive with people often self-medicating to treat depression. Stopping any drug suddenly can cause a dangerous reaction so it has to be done with professional medical advice.
“If parents discover their children are abusing this drug they should seek medical assistance immediately.”
Police are keeping crime rates down in the capital through a comprehensive anti-drug programme, mobile surveillance units, a ballistic weapons laboratory car for arms and ammunition inspection and a fingerprint database.
AI and other technological advancements have been used by police to study geological forensic evidence, linking suspects to crime scenes and to help strengthen drug prosecutions.
Various police sectors have made significant practical improvements “to the level of police and security services provided to society”, said Maj Gen Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police.
“These have included equipment improvements, human resources and launching new development projects that have enhanced our efforts in the prevention and control of crime.”
Drug traffickers linked to Hezbollah were arrested trying to smuggle drugs into the UAE to fund the group