Mohammed bin Ali Kuman, secretary general of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, said drug dealing is the main financier of terrorism on Wednesday.
Kuman’s statement came at the opening of the sixth annual conference of Arab drug squad chiefs in Tunis.
He explained that the security vacuum resulting from turmoil and uprisings in the region last year left borders open for smugglers, including drug cartels that are now protected by terrorist organizations.
He added that because the Arab region lies between the countries that produce drugs and those consuming it, it makes it easy for dealers to sell contraband there. Also, most Arab countries depend on tourism, which brings along drugs and other smuggled goods.
“Those cartels use the new technology of communications and transportation to promote their goods,” he said. “This is the challenge we must face.”
“We must address the problem at its roots,” he added. “It is not enough to fight drugs, we should educate on their dangers and treat addicts.”
“There should be close cooperation between police and the community to form a united front against drugs,” he said.
Conference participants included the Arab League, Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Saudi Nayef University for Security Sciences, and the GCC Information Center for Drug Control.
The conference was about explaining the relationship between gangs of illicit drug trafficking and terrorist organizations in the Arab region, as well as recommending strategic plans to reduce the supply and demand of illegal drugs and psychotropic substances.
Edited translation from AFP
