Ambassador Khaddour: Syria Has Made Great Efforts to Counter The Attempts of Drug Trafficking, Smuggling and Manufacturing

Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations office and other international organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Dr. Hassan Khaddour, affirmed that Syria has made great efforts to counter the attempts of drug trafficking, smugglers and manufacturers from armed terrorist organizations, and was able to dismantle more than one drug smuggling network, arrest dealers and promoters, and confiscate large quantities of materials and narcotics stored in technical ways.

In a statement delivered during the first session of the annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board for the year 2021, which was held in Vienna, Ambassador Khaddour indicated that despite the limited capabilities of the equipment used to detect narcotics in the light of the siege imposed on Syria and the unilateral coercive measures that have greatly impeded the arrival of the technology needed to detect trafficking networks and places of illicit manufacture of Captagon, almost 50 million Captagon pills and thousands of kilograms of cannabis were seized during the years of 2020-2021.

Ambassador Khaddour pointed out that Syria’s geographical location made it a mandatory corridor for drug transit and smuggling between countries of origin and countries of destination, indicating that this problem has exacerbated in recent years due to the control of terrorist organizations backed by several countries over some border areas and the activity of cross-border criminal groups, which created a favorable climate for the transfer and smuggling of drugs and their promotion and provided large financial returns that contributed to the financing of terrorist groups.

Ambassador Khaddour called on the International Narcotics Control Board to address issues related to the world drug problem in a professional and impartial manner. The Ambassador stressed the necessity of verifying, documenting and examining the data available to the Board in this regard well with the concerned Member States. The Ambassador called on those who prepare the reports in the Board to provide more clarifications, evidence and data in order to verify the information contained in their reports thus, enabling those concerned in Syria to face this challenge.

Ambassador Khaddour expressed confidence that the International Narcotics Control Board will abide by its mandate and continue to provide its valuable and impartial support to all Member States without politicizing any position, and said: “We have a global challenge and the only way to combat it is through the collective and coordinated efforts of all stakeholders in the international community.”