MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman will participate with the countries of the world to celebrate the International Day for Drug Control, which falls on June 26 of each year.

This year’s observance is themed under the slogan ‘Yes to a safe drug society’ aims to address the scourge of drugs as a shared responsibility between the concerned authorities and the society.

This year’s campaign includes holding exhibitions and awareness lectures directed to the community, implemented by the awareness team specialised in the General Administration of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control and the geographical departments in the governorates.

The General Department of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control of the Royal Oman Police has clarified that the scourge of drugs is an international issue that most countries suffer from, and it has social, economic, health and security dimensions.

The international reports issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicates that there is a remarkable hike in drug crimes worldwide, be it through the emergence of new types of narcotic substances or the emergence of advanced methods and methods in their manufacture, concealment and smuggling.

The authorities have predicted that an increase in the volume of production of narcotic substances with increased means in smuggling operations have made controlling the problem of drugs a rather difficult one.

The Royal Oman Police has begun to open regional and international channels in the field of drug control and have also made sincere efforts to strengthen international partnership and cooperation in combating this scourge and confronting it with an international dimension.

The penalty for drug smuggling crimes is death or life imprisonment, in addition to a fine of up to OMR 50,000. The aim is to limit the spread of drugs in society, thereby eliminating it forever.