Multiple substances that have a negative impact on the well-being of nations and economies are made illegal by states, although the problem of their spread remains. Drug trafficking is an illicit global enterprise that involves the cultivation, production, distribution, and sale of narcotics forbidden by law. The efficiency of the effort against drug trafficking is explored in the present paper with a specific focus on UAE.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Illegal activity related to drug trafficking and smuggling is a concern for the global society, which is why organizations such as The United Nations Office on Narcotics and Crime (UNODC) exist. Moreover, it is a world frontrunner in the fight against unlawful narcotics and transnational delinquency. UNODC was established in 1997 and presently hires multiple individuals worldwide (UNODC 2021). It has regional offices, head offices in Vienna, and liaison office buildings in New York and Belgium. UNODC strives to educate people all over the globe about the risks of drug usage and to improve international action against illicit substance production, trafficking, and criminality connected to drugs (UNODC 2021). UNODC field employees create and carry out decriminalizing possession and preventing crime programs that are specialized to the needs of various nations by dealing closely with authorities and non-governmental agencies.
The Global Impact of Narcotics Trafficking and Smuggling
Drug trafficking negatively impacts institutions, societies, and countries globally. First, a crucial result and a crime that facilitates the global drug trade and transnational organized crime is corruption (DOS, US 2021). Next, the growth of illegal markets for the trade of people, animals, plants, and artifacts is made possible by drug trafficking (Devine et al. 2021). Furthermore, drug cartels have a detrimental economic impact from a financial perspective. The persistent violence and corruption harm many places by driving away businesses, residents, tourists, and foreign investment (Hartmeier 2018). Moreover, narco-deforestation is evident, and money laundering tied to cocaine indirectly contributes to developing unsustainable markets (Chapa 2019). Similarly, overcapitalization of fisheries and unsustainable resource usage may be caused by illicit money coming from the drug trade into them (Belhabib, Le Billon, and Wrathall 2020). Therefore, the impacts of global drug trafficking and smuggling are devastating for economics and local politics.
There are particular examples of the endangering and detrimental effects of drug trafficking in different regions of the world. As such, the consumption and trade of illegal drugs are prevalent in border regions. For example, a strong correlation exists between high levels of drug trafficking operations and the most dangerous areas in Central America, notably near the border between Guatemala and Honduras. This is a problem for many established countries worldwide, but it is particularly true in all emerging nations, including Honduras. The Bureau of Justice Investigation in the United States claimed in the late 1990s that 5% of homicides had a drug connection (Wilner 2017). The economy, unimpressive governments, and a lack of leadership in law administration are just a few of the variables that might contribute to drug wars in Colombia.
Although countries that receive illegally obtained drugs also suffer from the business, the nations where drugs are produced and transported are some of the most severely impacted. For instance, Ecuador has taken in up to 300,000 Colombian refugees who are escaping rebels, paramilitary forces, and drug gangs (DOT, US 2012). Drug trafficking from Colombia via Ecuador to other regions of South America causes issues on the economic and social fronts. The most remarkable homicide rate globally as of 2011 was in Honduras, where approximately 79% of cocaine traveling to the US passes transit (DOT, US 2012). Similarly, narcotic use was the primary cause of the vast majority of crimes, along with robbery, muggings, and thefts, due to the high cost of the highly addictive illicit substances heroin and cocaine (FATF 2014; Samii 2003; Majidyar 2017). Moreover, there have been numerous instances where connections between political figures and criminal organizations have been established.
Narcotics Trafficking and Smuggling through UAE
Due to the various avenues of entry and exit, the Emirate has developed into an international center for drug smuggling. Smugglers are leveraging Dubai’s infrastructure to confuse law enforcement by building phony departure ports (Casagrande 2017). Contrabandists use the Emirate’s modern and available infrastructure, such as airlines and harbors, to attempt to transport narcotics from their native countries to their locations. Arrests of smugglers traveling cocaine from South America to Europe and Africa via Dubai arrive and devote a day or two here before acquiring a permit to their final terminus in an attempt to dupe the agents. The Dubai Police make around 500 arrests and file charges each year. Among them are 153 abusers, 121 couriers, 121 recreational users arrested with a modest amount of narcotics, 70 roadside purveyors, 21 traffickers, and four smugglers (GI-TOC 2020). In 2022, Dubai Police reported a 39% rise in drug arrests compared to prior years and a 20% rise in case convictions (GI-TOC 2020). As a result, anti-drug officials have emphasized the importance of improved public knowledge and cooperation on policies against narcotics smuggling.
Several programs in the UAE aim to reduce and eliminate drug trafficking in the country. For example, drug cartels utilize a variety of means to launder their riches through the extensive global financial system. To fight this issue, UAE has created Anti Money Laundering regulations (Al Sakkaf and Nazeer 2018). The system helps institutions prevent money laundering in the banking system and electronic transfers, cash deposits, money mules, and cyber-laundering (Stankovska and Stamevska 2020; Greenaway 2020). Moreover, the Dubai police encourage reporting of illicit trade by cooperating with drug abusers and providing drug awareness training programs (Ghany and Jay 2020; Murah et al. 2020). Comparing this year to the previous, efficient and effective performance at Dubai Customs increased by 34%. Compared to the 188 attempts made last year, more than 250 trafficking efforts were thwarted around January and May (GI-TOC 2020). Every year, the Dubai Public Administration achieves several convictions of 95% in narcotics cases. (GI-TOC 2020). Cooperation with anti-narcotics units throughout the Arab countries would aid in the reduction of drug offenses in the area.
Ship Workers at Augmented Risk of Drug Trafficking Endanger Seaport Security
Unfortunately, commercial carriers and ship workers are often not knowingly involved in drug trafficking. Narcotic drugs can be disguised within goods within a container or in the container’s construction, either in the ramparts or beneath the floor. Reefer vessels offer options to conceal goods within refrigeration systems. Containers may be put by rogue staff operating for shipping firms or ports. Drug smugglers dressed as port authorities and dock workers have been reported labeling boxes as checked using duplicated official seals (Belhabib, Le Billon, and Wrathall 2020). Traffickers can also exploit the liner’s exterior construction by adding a box to the exterior, or narcotics can be secreted in water-tight bags by a diver in the steering trunk. The ship’s void sections can also be used as hiding spots.
Although there have been attempts to improve the situation in ship ports and fisheries, dug trafficking still endangers the security of seaports. The findings imply that despite an increase in the overall flow of drugs, drug cargo volumes per vessel are getting smaller over time (Belhabib, Le Billon, and Wrathall 2020). This impact is heightened by anti-drug enforcement, which implies that drug trafficking networks adjust by using smaller vessels to reduce the likelihood of confiscation. As a result, safety and security at ports become the responsibility of the port administration, shipping corporations, and seafarers (Solum, Åsgård, and Urdahl 2021). This entails preventing unauthorized individuals from entering port facilities or boarding vessels, putting in place appropriate security plans, and ensuring all staff members are trained, informed, and capable of spotting and averting security threats.
Impact of Narcotics on the UAE Society and Social Fabric
The influence of illicit drugs on the UAE’s society is multilayered and primarily negative. As such, the availability of narcotics leads to the effects of one person’s drug addiction that may affect their entire family. For example, someone may feel discomfort or alienate their family members if they use drugs in front of them (Ghany and Ghaleb 2018). A juvenile individual who has an addicted parent may have a difficult time developing (Ghany and Ghaleb 2018). Even at a young age, they could grow to have an addiction of their own. To cope with issues in their personal life, some people turn to narcotics. However, drug users are significantly less productive at work than non-users (Ghany and Ghaleb 2018). Finally, someone who uses drugs may be motivated to conduct crimes. They could steal money or property from their relatives to pay for more drugs. Occasionally, workers would take little cash from their employers to acquire narcotics (Ghany and Ghaleb 2018). Drug use can affect a person’s capacity for decision-making, causing them to make unsafe decisions. Therefore, narcotics might bring damage to UAE’s families and crime occurrences.
The other problem concerns the reintegration of drug addicts into society in UAE. Reintegrating patients who have recovered into a community and sustaining recovery are crucial components of the therapy process. According to research, the number of people abusing drugs in the UAE is rising among all nationalities, with Emirati citizens having the highest rates of addiction (Alsuwaidi 2019). Despite all the post-treatment programs, Emirati nationals still have a significant recurrence rate (Alsuwaidi 2019). According to the law based on Justice Value, a drug addict should not be found guilty of a drug offense (Bawono, Nasokha, and Trisetyawan 2022). However, narratives of recovering addicts claim that negative signs about safety, trust, trafficking, and integration prevent them from integrating into society (Barhoumi and Algharbawi 2021). As a result, the availability of drugs in the UAE produces individuals who are unable fully recover and integrate into society. Thus, narcotics create a stratum of marginalized people in the country.
Impact of Narcotics Trafficking and Smuggling on UAE Global Reputation
An economy eager for investment and increasing capital inflow needs stability and safety. The Emirati economic system has depended on establishing both. By instituting the International Cooperation Division within the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Evidence, Bahrain has also been eager to collaborate with the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime for the Gulf States, located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to intensify joint Gulf security operations, and share international experiences. According to the Dubai Police, while most crimes have decreased in recent years despite a zero-tolerance policy, drug-related offenses have stayed almost steady. The same factors that have supported the UAE’s ongoing economic expansion have also created legal gaps and possibilities for illegal and unlawful activity (Alexander and Mazzucco 2021). As a result, the UAE’s international reputation has deteriorated, and it is now known as a money laundering center (Al-Tawil 2022). UAE has also been referred to as a trafficking hub for drug smuggling (UNODC 2021). This has destroyed the UAE’s reputation making it unpopular for investment and tourism among other countries.
Moreover, criminal organizations from the Western Balkans have emerged as important players in the world drug trade. Balkan organizations are involved in the manufacture and trafficking of marijuana as well as heroin (Mejdini and Zhilla 2022). They have amassed a substantial amount of wealth as a result, which they are presently laundering in the UAE. Notably, Europol revealed a significant intervention against an Albanian-speaking criminal organization regarded as one of the busiest in cocaine trafficking in Europe (Mejdini and Zhilla 2022). Eldi Dizdari, an Albanian who resides in Dubai, was one of the people detained as a consequence of the investigations (Mejdini and Zhilla 2022). Dizdari is one of several Albanians who have sought asylum in the UAE and are charged with transnational drug trafficking. This particular case demonstrates the lack of cooperation from the Emirati side in the circumstances of drug trafficking. Therefore, the UAE’s legal structure and loopholes that it provides for money laundering and drug trafficking significantly disrupt the country’s global reputation.
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