The UAE has played a key role in an operation against international criminal gangs under which 822 tonnes of illegal drugs worth $2.9 billion were seized.
A total of 12,564 suspects were arrested around the world, state news agency Wam reported. The operation ran from June 10 to August 7 and was carried out by the International Security Alliance (ISA), with co-operation from 25 countries including Bahrain, Spain, Morocco, France, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Italy.
It followed months of preparation, intelligence co-operation and investigations focused on smuggling routes, trafficking methods and emerging criminal networks.
"This intensive co-operation contributed to gathering information on new criminal networks, exchanging expertise on drug-smuggling methods, unifying the efforts of the alliance and its partners in combating narcotics, and building bilateral relations between specialised experts," state news agency Wam reported.
"This enhanced the efficiency of field co-ordination, raised the level of joint preparedness, and developed proactive mechanisms to counter and control cross-border [illicit] drug flows."
The ISA was established in 2017 by France and the UAE with the aim of enhancing co-operation and building partnerships to address common security challenges.
It currently comprises of 11 countries – the UAE, France, Senegal, Morocco, Spain, Bahrain, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Singapore, and Israel. This operation, conducted by land, air, and sea, marks the ISA’s second successful joint operation of its kind.
