Sharjah Police seize more than 1,100kg of drugs in 2021

With a street value of Dh135.4 million, the narcotics were confiscated in a series of operations

Nine men with about one million Xanax pills were arrested in a police operation in Sharjah last year. Photo: Sharjah Police

Sharjah Police seized more than 1,100 kilograms of narcotics and thwarted large drug trafficking attempts last year.

The force’s end-of-year report showed that it confiscated 822kg of crystal meth, 251kg of heroin, 94kg of hashish and more than 3.4 million tablets of different types.

With a street value of Dh135.4 million ($36.8m), the drugs were seized in a series of operations.

These included Operation Rasid in May when officers seized 115kg of drugs, and Operation Poisoned Rope in June when 215kg of crystal meth and heroin were confiscated from a dhow at Port Khalid in the emirate.

Maj Gen Saif Al Shamsi, commander-in-chief of Sharjah Police, said officers work very hard to fight serious crime, including drug trafficking, murder and rape.

“The fight will continue, everyone in the force is doing their best, which is evident by the decline in serious crime rate by 7.6 per cent,” said Maj Gen Shamsi.

“The rate for solving crimes that were registered against unidentified offenders went up by 21 per cent last year.”

Stepping up efforts to maintain security in the emirate, Sharjah Police have been investing in the latest technology, identifying crime-prone areas and launching projects to keep the streets safer.

Surveillance cameras installed at various places connect directly to the police control room and patrols have increased.

“A new lab equipped with 402 high-tech devices was recently opened,” said Maj Gen Shamsi.

Sharjah Police and Sharjah Police Academy, in partnership with a number of universities, will soon launch the ‘Ready for the Future' award.

Participants who submit ideas and projects that can help to fight crime will win $54,000 in prizes. No further details were made available.