UAE joins global anti-drug campaign, $2.9bn worth of illegal drugs seized

It was the second time members of the International Security Alliance have carried out such an operation targeting international criminal groups. (WAM)
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Updated 29 August 2025
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UAE joins global anti-drug campaign, $2.9bn worth of illegal drugs seized

  • The operation saw 12,564 suspects arrested around the world

DUBAI: The UAE joined a multi-nation, two-month anti-drug campaign that seized 822 tons of illegal drugs worth $2.9 billion, state news agency WAM reported.

Running from June 10 to Aug. 7, the operation saw 12,564 suspects arrested around the world, WAM reported.

It was the second time members of the International Security Alliance have carried out such an operation targeting international criminal groups.

Other member states of the International Security Alliance taking part in the operation included Bahrain, Morocco, Spain and France.

There were also members of the American Police Organization and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, as well as personnel from Jordan, involved in the operation.

The cross-border cooperation enabled the gathering of information on new criminal networks, exchange of expertise on drug smuggling methods and the unifying of efforts in combating narcotics, which enhanced joint preparedness and developed proactive mechanisms to counter and control the movement of illegal drugs, WAM reported.

The ISA framework was established in 2017 by the UAE and France to enhance cooperation and build partnerships to address issues of global significance, particularly combating transnational organized crime.


Syrian authorities find remains of five victims of Assad regime

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Syrian authorities find remains of five victims of Assad regime

  • The remains of the individuals were scattered on open ground near a house in the village of Al-Qashla, near Manbij

LONDON: Syrian authorities completed the recovery of the remains of at least five individuals in eastern Aleppo province, believed to have died due to the brutal practices of the deposed Bashar Assad regime.

The Syrian Civil Defense found the remains of individuals scattered on open ground near a house in the village of Al-Qashla, near Manbij, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

They have been surveying and investigating the area since Monday, when the first report of human remains came through, in coordination with the National Authority for the Missing.

Authorities have found multiple mass graves in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

Last week, authorities reported that the remains of 14 individuals were found in the Adra industrial area, northeast of Damascus, during excavation for mill foundations in the area.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, nearly 177,000 people have been forcibly disappeared in Syria since March 2011.