Interior Minister Prince Muhammad bin Naif commended Wednesday the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) for its efforts to prevent drug use and create awareness against its harmful effects.

During a meeting with Maj. Gen. Ahmad Al-Zahrani, GDNC director-general, Prince Muhammad also announced that he had approved a GDNC plan for this year in the field of prevention and rehabilitation to achieve the goals of the national narcotics control strategy.

The GDNC recently announced that anti-drugs officers in the Taif province seized 1.1 million amphetamine tablets with a market value of SR40.4 million. Two Saudis and a Yemeni national were arrested.

Al-Zahrani said that the directorate’s success were possible due to the interior minister’s support and underscored the efforts exerted by security services and customs in order to protect citizens from drugs.

The GDNC implements many protective programs among its staff and for both Saudi and non-Saudi residents. It also organizes campaigns against addiction to narcotics among young people by showcasing the harmful effects of addiction.

It also collaborates with similar institutions all over the world, particularly the United States, Jordan, Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia and Yemen, to combat illegal narcotics trade.