In an interview with Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper, Brig. Gen. Abdullah Al-Jameel said women were victims of abuse in most drug cases registered by his department.

“They have become victims of drug abuse after being lured into it either by their husbands or any one of their relatives who are drug addicts or traffickers. Among women, those who are employees or have a fixed income are more susceptible to drug abuse,” he said.

Al-Jameel also pointed out that the drug mafia was flourishing following the recent political turmoil and turbulence in the neighboring Arab countries. Drug smuggling and trafficking is considered a major crime in the Kingdom, where offenders may receive the death penalty if convicted.

While underscoring the fact that Saudi Arabia is one of the main targets of drug traffickers, the official reaffirmed that the Kingdom has the potential and capability to confront any challenges posed by the international drug mafia.

Following are the major excerpts from the interview:

There is no doubt that mafia activities flourish when there is political turmoil or instability in any country. However, in the Kingdom, we are on a full alert with intensifying surveillance and achieving elaborate security preparedness to prevent anyone from exploiting the insecure situations prevailing in some Arab countries. We will not allow anyone to smuggle any prohibited goods into the Kingdom.

The cooperation between the department and the Haia is based on strong foundations and has existed since long ago. Our meeting was aimed at exploring various security matters as well as exchange of expertise in fighting the social scourge of drug abuse. In fact, the Haia has been playing an active role in anti-drug combat.

Prince Muhammad bin Fahd, governor of the Eastern Province, has set up a committee to carry out studies about the problems these old districts face and to suggest solutions to address the problems at the grassroots level. We expect that the committee, which is comprised of officials representing various government agencies, will come out with concrete and useful recommendations.

The Kingdom is a main target of drug gangs. But, as everyone knows, our wise leadership has put the security and safety of its citizens above everything else. Hence, we have mapped out plans and strategies aimed at combating drug trafficking and preventing their abuse at any cost. This enabled us to seize some drugs from their original source and the producing country itself. Our resolve to fight this scourge by all means has reaped rich dividends and that helped making the Kingdom one of the countries least affected by drug abuse in the world.

We continue implementing a well-planned permanent annual program aimed at making aware of students about the dangers of drug abuse and preventing them from being drug victims. Our teams have started implementing the program two years ago in cooperation and coordination with the concerned officials of the educational department in the region. Together with the participation of students, the program is being implemented with updates at regular intervals. Our campaign is mainly focused on the dangers of Captagon pills, as it is the main drug that traffickers used to sell among students during exam period. We also ensure beefing up of security patrols and inspections in the school premises and the nearby coffee shops and recreational centers.

The drug traffickers employ various tricks, like spreading rumors and false information about the “advantages” of taking drugs, among the younger generation. They even misuse some groups to achieve their marketing goals. As part of the world, we have to confront attempts to smuggle in drugs from outside the Kingdom. The highly advancement in IT is a blessing from God. However, this was being misused for spreading several crimes, including drug trafficking. Drug transactions are now possible even through the Internet.

No doubt, some crimes are the byproduct of drug abuse. A drug addict often commits crimes even without his intention. Drug addicts also experience relapse, which is a cardinal feature of addiction, and one of the most painful. If the former-addicts did not get proper medication, clinical treatment and social rehabilitation, there is more possibility for them to return to drug use after a drug-free period. This can be extremely frustrating for patients as well as for their families.

A majority of women inmates at prisons in the Eastern Province are those who have been detained in connection with immoral and drug related cases. Do you think there are any attempts to target women in this respect?

There is no gender difference with regard to drug abuse. However, in most drug cases registered by us, there were women who had become victims of exploitation either by their husbands or any of their relatives. This is more obvious in the case of women with employment or financial resources. There are also some cases in which women are misused as drug carriers.

There has been an increase in the number of women officials at your department in the recent past. What are their major duties and responsibilities? And is it an indication that there has been a rise in the number of women drug addicts or traffickers?

No, this is not the reason. For a long time, there had been a dire need of a strong contingent of women officials to work for the department, but we could not find them sufficiently. Now, there are large numbers of women who come forward to take up jobs in this field. One section of them works in the awareness field by conducting various programs, seminars and exhibitions aimed at making women aware of the dangers of drug abuse. The second section of officials takes part in raids and keeping guard of women who are detained in drug cases.

It is unfortunate that the majority of those involved in drug sale cases in the region are Saudis. However, foreigners are involved in most cases of drug smuggling in the region. We are capable of combating the scourge of drugs effectively and dismantle any drug mafia or networks.

This is an ambitious program aimed at realizing social integration in fighting drugs. Eight fully-fledged awareness centers have been set up in various parts of the region. There are also more than eight research chairs at various universities in addition to a series of social and sport programs aimed at combating drugs and ensuring rehabilitation of drug addicts.