Amman: A regional meeting on combating synthetic drugs commenced in Amman, involving officials from Jordan and five Arab nations, aiming to bolster cooperation, information exchange, and collaborative efforts against the escalating threat of synthetic drug trafficking.
According to Jordan News Agency, the three-day event is hosted by the Public Security Directorate (PSD) in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS). Participants include representatives from Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, along with experts from pertinent regional and international organizations.
PSD Director General Maj. Gen. Obaidallah Maaytah was present at the meeting's inauguration, which seeks to enhance regional and international coordination. It also aims to formulate mechanisms for exchanging expertise to improve security and judicial responses to cross-border drug threats.
Anti-Narcotics Department Director Brig. Gen. Hassan Qudah, speaking on behalf of the PSD Chief, emphasized the meeting's role in strengthening partnerships among law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities. He highlighted the necessity of exchanging best practices in monitoring the production, trafficking, and distribution of synthetic drugs.
Brig. Gen. Qudah also underscored the importance of developing early warning systems, enhancing security and intelligence analysis capabilities, and building integrated databases to aid in tracking drug sources and trafficking routes.
Ali albsoul, Director of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs, stressed the critical need for collective action and unified regional and international efforts to address drugs and transnational organized crime. He reiterated Jordan's dedication to supporting and developing international partnerships based on shared responsibility and relevant international agreements.
UNODC representative Judge Hatem Ali noted that the meeting follows an initial gathering in Riyadh last year and aims to continue data collection and analysis, identify gaps and challenges, and develop practical recommendations and action plans. These efforts are intended to bolster national and regional initiatives against synthetic drug trafficking, ahead of a regional research report's release in October.
Throughout the meeting, participants are discussing trends in synthetic drug proliferation, emerging production, trafficking and distribution methods, and security and judicial coordination mechanisms. They are also focusing on developing monitoring and early warning systems based on risk analysis and field evidence.