Armies of Liberation

Yemen Post

The Specialized Penal Prosecution is still investigating with what security sources called the most dangerous drug dealer in Yemen Ali Abdullah bin Hitiqan Al-Saya’ri.

Al-Saya’ri was arrested by security forces last week in Shabwa province and was sent to Sana’a. A security source revealed that armed elements tried to intercept the security vehicles that transferred Al-Saya’ri and both sides exchange fire.

The exchange of fire resulted in killing 7 soldiers as their vehicle rolled over. The armed elements, boarding eight vehicles, fled the scene as soon as reinforcements arrived in the area without being able to release Al-Saya’ri.

The security forces arrested Al-Saya’ri last week in a check-point while he was boarding his Hummer vehicle.

In related news, the Specialized Penal Court received the file of another drug dealer accused of smuggling 715,000 drug pills who was arrested last June in Sana’a International Airport.

In an effort to trick security officials, the defendant hid the drugs inside water heaters. Similarly, 11 Iranian sailors are trailed over possessing and trading in drugs after being arrested early this year in Al-Maharah province.

Though it is not a consuming country, Yemen has turned into a transit country for drugs exported to Gulf countries from the Southeast of Asia. Security guards have seized big quantities of drugs this year in different ways.

but lets just call them all terrorists:

Yemen Observer

220 out of 1045 terrorist suspects were arrested by the Yemeni police in the year of 2007, according to a recent report issued by the Yemeni Ministry of Interior.

According to the report the 220 detainees were arrested under accusations of being involved in terrorist cases or in other organized and drug crimes. The report also revealed that other thousands of criminals were detained in 2007 for being involved in other different crimes.

The report stated that the security authorities could handle 34,386 crimes out of 36,894 at a rate of 63.2 percent.

According to the same report the number of premeditated crimes dropped by 96 percent compared to the year 2006 due to the firm implementation of the law that banned weapon-carrying in the main cities.

The report also revealed that 812 stolen cars out of 1,173 were brought back to their owners.

In 2007 the Yemeni authorities deported 1,390 Arabs and foreigners living illegally in the country, while more than 27,900 illegal immigrants were caught by the coastguard. The coastguard also registered more than 1,418 cases of smuggling refugees and water pollution cases in 2007. The report also stated that Yemeni authorities have given more than 32,000 residence identity cards for refugees from Africa and other Arab and Asian countries.

The United Nations granted the Yemeni Ministry of Interior its shield for the year 2008 in recognition for the great success it achieved in fighting drugs.

AFP

RIYADH (AFP) — Saudi border guards have seized almost a tonne of explosives and large quantities of arms and drugs on Yemen’s border over the past three months, making hundreds of arrests, Okaz newspaper said on Saturday.

The paper, quoting the guards, said 13 hand- and rocket-propelled grenades, 99 sticks of dynamite, 100 fuses, 12 detonators, more than 100 guns and 15,000 cartridges figured in the seizures.

Okaz praised security guards for their vigilance which had prevented the weapons and drugs from falling into the hands of “terrorists and other elements seeking to destabilise” the Saudi kingdom.

As many as 800 suspected arms and drugs dealers were arrested over the same period, along with 83 illegal immigrants, the report said.

Some 1,600 kilograms (2,640 pounds) of hashish, two million amphetamine pills and 280 bottles of alcohol, which is banned in the ultra-conservative Muslim country, were also seized.

Interior Ministry releases detained weapon dealers
Saturday, 12-July-2008
Almotamar.net - Yemen’s Ministry of Interior on Saturday released all merchants of weapon it has arrested in its campaign carried out by security authorities for closing own shops trading with weapons. The shops included in the campaign amounted to 234 until the end of last week.
Security sources said instructions of the Interior Ministry decided to keep weapons shops closed and continue the seizure of the weapons it captured in the campaign that covered all governorates of Yemen until to decide what to do about them later.

The Security Information Centre at the Ministry of interior sad that Ministry released weapons merchants after they submitted written pledges of not practicing again this type of activity that is violating the law and their pledge to report to security authorities whenever they are requested.

Yemen Observer

Police have arrested one of the most notorious drug traffickers in Rafdoum district of Shabwa province, said a police source on Sunday. They also halted the attempt of some gunmen to release the wanted traffickers by firing barrages of fire while being transported to Sana’a the capital.

One of the biggest drug traffickers in Yemen, named “Ali Abdullah bin Hatefan al-Suyeri’ was in his Hummer car at Ayn Bamabd security check-point, the source told al-motamar.net website . Al-Suyeri is high on the wanted list of the Specialized Criminal Court.

The police transferred him on Saturday to Sana’a accompanied by patrols lead by the commander of the seventh security zone in Shabwa province. Gunmen riding four vans and two other cars fired a barrage of fire on patrols, which led to a coup during their passing in Asilian area. The coup caused injury of seven soldiers who were transferred to Behan hospital.

The sources said that it had been strengthened by four patrols and other security check points to arrest and prosecute the gunmen.

In related news, the Public Administration of Anti-drug referred the case of a defendant accused of drugs trade to the Specialized Criminal Prosecution. The accused is a Syrian named Khalf Mohamed Helal, arrested in International Sana’a Airport on Sunday June 29 carrying 715,000 pills of drugs inside electric heaters.

The Ministry of Interior’s authorities captured during the last five months 17 tons and 970 kilograms of hashish, as well as 468,000 narcotic pills, stated a report issued by the ministry press office last month.

An official report announced that drug crimes increased in 2007 to 140 with 226 suspects, in comparison to 45 crimes and 86 suspects in 2005. The report disclosed that the number of Yemenis suspected of involvement in drug trafficking increased in 2007 to 204 compared to 81 in 2005. The numbers of foreign drug dealer suspects were 5 in 2005 and 22 in 2007.

The report added that 511 individuals were charged with drug dealing in the country in the last three years. The suspects included 469 Yemenis and 42 foreigners.

The amount of the seized hashish during the last three years amounted to 9,642 kilograms, with 3,004 kilograms seized in 2005, 2,082 in 2006 and 4,555 in 2007 together with the confiscation of 112 hashish plants.

The narcotic pills seized in the same period totaled 802,944; most of them were caught in 2007. In 2005, the number of pills seized was 791,469, however only 6,500 pills were confiscated in 2004, in addition to 535 liters of ether acetyl. The report announced that the total quantity of drugs destroyed in Sa’adah and Taiz in 2006 were 22.2 kilograms of heroin, 1,647,952 kilograms of hashish, 200 grams of hashish seeds, 41,039 narcotic pills and 7,856 amphetamine pills. The amount of drugs destroyed in al-Mahara in 2007 mounted to 1,542,500 kilograms of hashish.

Sources confirmed that disclosure of this amount of drugs comes in the light of security information received by the Yemeni Security Services and the General Administration of drug-policing in Saudi Arabia within the framework of security cooperation between Sana’a and Riyadh. The Yemeni Security Services had searched the boat more than once since its detention in the middle last February, but they did not find anything at that time.

The last bust had a street value of about 50 million dollars. And this one, like that one, comes in the context of regional security agreements. But the Yemeni Coast Guard is doing well for itself despite being under funded and under equipped:

Yemen seizes 1700 km of drugs

SANA’A, June 04 (Saba) - Yemeni coastguard forces have seized 1700 km of drugs while they were attempted to smuggle into some neighboring states, the state-run 26sep.net.

An official source was quoted as saying that the coastguard forces in the cooperation with UAE security services seized a Pakistani ship carrying on board 1700 km of the drugs off Yemeni coasts.

al-Motamar

Almotamar.net - On charges of bringing, exporting and transporting quantities of narcotics and hashish as well as money laundering, the Yemeni Specialised Criminal Court began Tuesday the trial of 16 defendants among them a Kuwaiti army captain and his son, at large, in addition to another defendant.

(Read on …)

Syrian tried on charge of smuggling narcotics into Yemen
Saturday, 10-May-2008

al-Motamar
Almotamar.net - Specialised Yemeni First Instance Criminal Court on Saturday decided to postpone till next Saturday trial of a Syrian national accused of bringing into Yemen more than 450 thousand narcotic tablets Keptagon. The court decision was for allowing the defendant’s lawyer time to study the file of the case.

At the beginning of the court sitting statement of indictment was read out and it included that the defendant Faez Mustafa Dureid, 31, a Syrian nationality working as a tradesman, accused of bringing and possessing more than 450 thousand tablets of narcotic drug Keptagon captured at Sana’a Airport and hidden in sacks of sweets.

During the session held under chairmanship of Judge Muhsin Alwan the prosecution presented evidence of the case and confessions of the defendant in the reports. The charge mentioned the defendant brought sweets from Syria sent for him by a person called Mohammed Ali al-Khalidi living in an area of Madhaya situated between Syria and Lebanon. On his part the defendant is supposed to distribute the drugs to narcotics agents who are Abu Ali Shas, Yemeni and Abu Saleh, a Saudi.

Investigations revealed that the quantity of narcotics brought into Yemen since the beginning of January 2006 amounted to 26000 tablets. The defendant receives the amounts of drugs sent from Syria in the form of desserts and drug tablets are hidden inside.

In his response to the charge the defendant denied the accusation and the defence lawyer asked for photocopying the case file to be able to prepare his defence in the next sitting.

Saudi/ Yemeni cooperation:

Police arrest dangerous drugs trader

[01 May 2008]

SANA’A, May 01 (Saba)- Police have arrested a dangerous drugs trader, 26 September weekly reported on Thursday.

The weekly quoting a reliable source said that the man identified as M.M. H. is accused of drugs trading and hidden in Yemen for four years. The source said that this man has links with international tourist organizations. The arrest comes within security coordination between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Tourist or terrorist organization? Both make sense.

wow, 20,000 lbs, good for the Coast Guard, that guy better be careful.

So a guick search indicates two tons of hashish has a street value of about USD 10 million, so this is about 50 million dollars US in street value. This is a big bust. Who funded the transaction and what of the rest of the network beyond transport? The money laundering survey found police investigation as a science is not well understood in Yemen. Law enforcement often waits for someone to hand them case which they forward to the prosecutor, according to the survey. But the Coast Guard is doing well after all the training it seems.

26 September Net

Yemeni Coast Guard forces seized a Pakistani ship carrying on board 10 tons of hashish. Brigadier Ali Rase, Head of the Coast Guard told “26 September.Net” that the ship seized yesterday in about 35 kilometers off Mukalla’s coast.
He noted that the crew of Pakistani ship 16 people captured for conducting investigations and taking law measures in the Security Department in Mukalla.
In addition to that during the last month the Coast Guard forces seized Iranian ship carrying two tons of drugs with the crew, which carries the Iranian and Pakistani nationalities.

Yemen Post

On Thursday, a source indicated that Yemeni Coast Guard forces in collaboration with military ships belonging to coalition forces positioned in the Arab Sea managed to seize a Pakistani ship (Makran) boarding 10 ton of drugs.

The source added that the authorities conducted an investigation with the ship crew in preparations for completing other legal measures.

Yemen has turned into a transit country for drugs exported to Gulf countries, and the seized quantities of drugs reached by the end of 2007 115,000 kg of manufactured Hashish, 792,000 drug pills, 5 ton of Hashish and 2 kg of Heroin.

Security authorities arrested 225 smugglers in 2007 in 40 drug crimes, according to the General Administration for Fighting Drugs at the Ministry of Interior.

The administration also indicated that the number of those accused of smuggling drugs rose from 81 in 2005 to 204 in 2007. Similarly, the number of the non-Yemenis rose from 5 to 22.

In return, Yemeni security authorities face great hurdles in monitoring and controlling drug traders who use the country as a transit, especially when the country has a long coastline stretching for over 2,000 km.

Almotamar.net - The Specialised Criminal Court in Yemen approved Tuesday a first instance judgment giving a drugs smuggler 25 years in prison and 3 years imprisonment to another person condemned of his forging official signatures.

In the court sitting chaired by Judge Mohammed Hussein al-Hakimi, head of the court, the court approved the primary verdict against Abdullah Hadi Ayfan accused of transferring and possession of 123 kg of drugs.

The first instance court passed its decision on Abdullah Ayfan giving him 25 years imprisonment and confiscation and destruction of the drugs quantity. Security men have captured Ayfan in the mind of last year in Saada governorate in a car and in possession of 123kg of drugs before he could manage to smuggle the quantity to Saudi Arabia.

The court also endorsed a first instance verdict of three years imprisonment given to defendant Lutf Ali Hamoud al-Salami for confirmed condemnation of forging signature of the general prosecutor, the chairman of criminal prosecution Saeed al-A’aqil.

It is to be mentioned that al-0Salami was accused of forging signature and stamp of the general prosecutor for the purpose of raising money for prisoners aimed at deceit.

Yemen seizes illegal drugs ship

[24 March 2008]

SANA’A, March 24 (Saba) -A well-informed sources said that Yemeni coastguards seized on Monday at the Arab Sea a ship carrying about 1600 kg hashish in Yemen’s regional waters.

The sources said to Saba that the Coastguards Authority is currently investigating with a Pakistani crew of the ship.

The sources added that the coastguards of Aden Gulf had seized two big ships on aboard 32 Arab persons were practicing irregular fishing in Yemen’s regional waters.

Pakistani nationals

Almost always there’s the forged currency as well

Almotamar.net - The specialised criminal prosecution in Yemen began Saturday investigation with a Syrian national accused of attempting to bring drugs into Yemen.

Judicial sources told almotamar.net Saturday the accused called Faez Mustafa Duraid was arrested in the capital Sana’a with his wife who was handed over to the Syrian consulate in Yemen at a later time after the arrest. The sources added that security men had captured in the accused person’s flat a factory for manufacturing narcotic tablets, pointing out that the investigation held with him led to the seizure of 465000 narcotic tablets at the Sana’a International Airport the accused Syrian was trying to bring them into Yemen. The accused person will be sent the Specialised Criminal Court after finishing investigation with him.

On the other hand the prosecution began investigation with 14 persons accused of drug trafficking and currency forgery, among them 12 Yemenis, one Saudi and one Kuwaiti.
Judicial sources told almotamar.net that the accused who were arrested at the end of last January were in possession of 889 thousand forged Saudi riyals and a small quantity of drugs.

The sources added that interrogation with the accused led to the seizure of 1000 kg of drugs in the city of Aden they were intending to smuggle to Saudi Arabia. The accused will be sent to court soon.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

RIYADH: Saudi police have foiled an attempt to smuggle 140 kilograms of hashish from neighboring Yemen, SPA state news agency reported on Friday. A border patrol in the southwestern region of Najran clashed on Thursday with a group of smugglers after spotting them trying to infiltrate into the kingdom through rough terrain, SPA said. The smugglers, who were trying to cross the borders on foot, fired at the patrol before they retreated, leaving behind the drugs and a number of machine-guns and ammunition, it added. In October, Saudi authorities announced foiling an attempt to smuggle 1,050 kilograms of hashish through the same area, along the borders with impoverished Yemen. Saudi Arabia imposes death penalties on people convicted of drug trafficking. In January, two men convicted of drug smuggling were beheaded by the sword. - AFP

Just missing the antiquities Yemen Observer:

Yemen and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) security forces seized a large amount of drugs at the Arabian Sea on its way to be smuggled to the KSA on a boat coming from Pakistan last Tuesday, said security sources.

Security sources said that the joint security operations in the two countries resulted after numerous sailors were apprehended in possession of contraband.

In the beginning of February, Yemen and Saudi joint forces arrested a major international gang involved in producing counterfeit money, and drug dealing. Sources told the Sep 26 website that the members of the gang are from Yemen, Saudi, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kenya, and that members of the gang were arrested In Sana’a, Aden, and Jeddah, possessing large amounts of drugs and counterfeit money. They were able to phish approximately million Saudi Rial into banks.

(Read on …)

Again more good news in that the law is being enforced. The fact that many smugglers are Pakistanis is really no surprise.

al-Sahwa

Alsahwa.net

February 17, 2008 – Security authorities arrested on Friday 11 Iranians on their launch in Mahra province, southeastern Yemen.

Security sources in Mahra revealed that a special committee arrived form Sana’a to investigate them, pointing out that small quantities of drugs were seized with them.

The security sources expected that the men are drugs merchants, indicating that 34 Pakistanis had previously been arrested there and prosecuted on charges of smuggling drugs.

Related 790,000 pills

Last Friday, Coast Guard Forces announced that they seized an unknown ship off Yemeni coasts after it unloaded its shipment in the sea.

Security sources in Sana’a managed in 2007 to seize and destroy over 15,000 kg of manufactured hashish as well as 791,495 of narcotic tablets, and two kilo grams of heroin. They also discovered and destroyed 112 hashish plants.

Over the same year, 225 dealers were arrested and referred to prosecution over 40 drug lawsuits. A report by the General Administration for Fighting Drugs at Interior Ministry indicated that drug crimes increased in 2007 to 140 crimes and 226 charged people while there were just 81 indicted people in 2005. The indicted people of foreign nationalities reached 22 instead of five in 2005.

Over the last three years, the number of drug crimes mounted to 304 cases with 511 indicted people including 469 Yemenis and 42 of foreign nationalities.

Over 1,500 kg of hashish has been destroyed in Al-Mahara province in 2007 and the figures show that there is a constant increase of seized quantities of hashish.

T here have been increased activities of smuggling, especially of drugs, through Yemen over the last few years and further the country has turned to be a crossing point for drugs to the consuming countries in Gulf and elsewhere.

Though coast guard and security forces exert immense efforts to prevent drugs crossing from Yemen, the country is still a good haven for drug dealers.

Drug dealers use quite different means and techniques in their smuggling operations including using animals and high speed boats, benefiting from the long maritime strip stretching over 2,000 km.

Yemen Post

Update: Yemen Observer:

Mohammed Abdullah al-Harazi, governor of Al-Mahara, announced that security officials there are investigating the real reasons for an Iranian boat’s violation of Yemeni territorial waters.

The governor revealed that preliminary information showed that a crew of 11 persons were on board the boat, all of Iranian nationality.

Al- Mahara security authorities captured the boat last Friday, near Fartak mountain on the eastern Mahara coast when it entered Yemeni territorial waters illegally.

Mubarak Saied, security manager of Al-Mahara, said that a security team from the capital arrived in Al-Mahara on Sunday to examine the boat and found modern telecommunications equipment aboard. Saied said, “The investigation of the Iranian crew is continuing but as of this time there are no results.”

The Iranian embassy is waiting for an official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this event.

According to the official news agency the Iranian embassy were not informed of the Iranian ship’s violation from the Yemeni government, but rather learned about the problem by reading about it in the media. “According to international protocol the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must inform any embassy about what has happened with its citizens and we are awaiting an official statement from the Ministry as soon as possible,” the Iranian diplomat said.

Counterfeiting often accompanies drug smuggling

26 Sept

SANA’A (26 September Net) - The 26 September Net has learned that Yemeni security forces along with Saudi ones have arrested during the last few days an international and dangerous band deal with currency counterfeiting and drug trafficking .

Well-known sources revealed that the band’s members hold multi-nationalities; Yemeni, Saudi, Pakistani, Afghani and Kenyan. They have been arrested in Sana’a, Aden and Jeddah with a numerous amounts of drugs and faked currencies as well as KSA 1 million riyal.

The sources noted that this operation marked the successful one under the cooperation between the Yemeni–Saudi security forces for combating drugs and faked currencies as well as in the field of combating terrorism.

almotamar.net - The Specialised Criminal Appeals Court chaired by Judge Mohammed Hussein al-Hakimi confirmed Tuesday the primary sentence against the defendant Saleh Saleh Julaid condemned of transferring and possession of 285 kg of hashish.

The First Instance Specialised Criminal Court has earlier sentenced defendant Julaid to 25 years of imprisonment and confiscation of materials related to the case as well as destroying the drugs.

The defendant was caught at Qaflat Othr Amran crossing point in the mid of last year inside a car and was in possession of 285 kg of hashish, manufactured abroad and was intending to smuggle the quantity to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Motamar

Members of security checkpoint at the district of Al-Dhahir, Saada governorate have captured 77kg hashish carried in a car.

Local sources there told almotamar.net Sunday the car was on Saturday used by two persons. One of them was arrested and in his possession the hashish while the other person is still being hunted down as he escaped while the car was being searched by security men.

On the other hand a traffic accident two days ago helped security men in Hardh, Hajah governorate; discover more than 17 kg of drugs inside the car that overturned in the accident.

A security source from Hajah governorate security mentioned that during offering first aid and investigation into the causes of the incident security men discovered more than 17 kg of Afghani drugs inside the car and that the driver of the car died after the accident.

Well, its a good example.

I hope he doesn’t a visit from the jinn.

SANA’A, NewsYemen

President Ali Abdullah Saleh has decided to gradually give up open chewing Qat sessions to preserve his valuable time and to avoid exploiting such sessions in meaningless tittle-tattle, the website of the Ministry of Defence said Thursday.

The official website said president Saleh started this step months ago and he would not hold open sessions any more except sessions, without qat, for discussing emergency cases in accordance with the public interest.

The website quoted some informed sources calling all people who have special or public issues to raise their complaints to specialized units, local authority or judiciary or concerned government bodies, to avoid the need to refer such troubles to the president to waste his time, as the source said.

President Saleh called, in his address to nation on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the government, the legislative authority, the local authority, the civil society organizations and others to carry their responsibilities and solve problems without delay.

Yemenis in different parts of the country are complaining different issues related to living standards, human rights violaitons, price hikes and shortage of public services. The most important issue is the crisis of retired military personnel in southern Yemen.

Two words on narco-terrorism: private docks.

National Post
Terrorist groups may be funding their activities through khat, an illegal stimulant smuggled daily into Canada, says a newly released intelligence report.

The report by the Canadian government’s Integrated Threat Assessment Centre says “some part of the proceeds involved in the global khat trade possibly finances terrorism.”

Khat is an illicit drug that is wildly popular among Somali-Canadians. It originates in East Africa and the Middle East, regions that “are ‘of concern’ from a terrorism viewpoint,” the report says.

“Given that a number of terrorist organizations around the world finance their activities through the drug trade, and that much of the khat trade occurs in and emanates from a region of the world closely identified with terrorism, it is possible that some parts of the proceeds involved may end up in the hands of terrorists or their sympathizers.”

(Read on …)

Usually its the 500 riyal Saudi note:

Aden security seizes drugs, counterfeiters:

Nov. 24 – Yemeni security apparatuses in Aden arrested several suspects involved in trafficking and distributing drugs and counterfeit money from different countries.

Aden security director Abdullah A. Qirat reported that security forces arrested suspects carrying 55.1 grams of hashish. Additionally, the suspects were trafficking and distributing drugs and hashish substances.

Security forces further arrested a group of foreigners possessing counterfeit money from countries including the United States and Saudi Arabia. The source did not identify the foreigners’ nationalities. Qirat confirmed that all suspects and their possessions have been referred to the appropriate prosecution to be tried judicially.

Yemen Observer

Statistics collected by the Ministry of the Interior show that the rate of crimes committed by teenagers and juveniles has increased during the past few years. The most commonly reported crimes include prostitution, “honor” crimes, theft, and the use of drugs and alcohol.

(Read on …)

26 Septemper News

79kg of Drugs seized in Sa’adah

Security apparatuses seized yesterday a quantity of drugs which weighs 79kg, security source said, he added that this quantiry of drugs is sorted as an Indian Hashish whish was being seized on board Toyota Hilux car on its way to be smuggled outside.

He noted that they released the quantity and start to investigate with the persons who are involved in this case.

Are they going to shut down the private docks that recieve the drugs? Somehow, I don’t think so considering who owns them.

Yemen Times

During their latest press conference, in response to questions about the shortage of drugs in several governorates, the greatest shortage being of insulin, the director of the Drug Fund indicated that limitations in drug availability are the product of a reduction of the Drug Fund’s budget from 3.5 billion Yemeni riyals to 1.45 billion Yemeni riyals.

One patient expressed their shock at the director’s revelation, stating, “As a patient my reaction is that I am horribly terrified by this news and a person like me is undoubtedly dead either influenced by those declarations in this respect or by actual lack of such indispensable drugs.”

At Thamar General Hospital, several diabetes patients came for their scheduled treatment, only to be turned away due to an insulin shortage. “For three days I came from Yarim and they told me it [insulin] was not available. Both I and my sister are infected and we do not have money to buy this medicine from a private pharmacy,” Nabil Nasser Al-Faqeeh stated, adding, “When I don’t use insulin it leaves very bad consequences on my health. Thus, the only alternative here is the private sector with its expensive prices, which are beyond my ability.” He implored concerned officials to have some mercy and provide enough insulin for health centers. Mr. Al-Faqeeh is just one of many patients who are suffering from a lack of required medicine to treat their illnesses.

Essam Al-Shami, a patient in Wesab province, told Yemen Times, “I came to the health center in the countryside to get myself cured. I got tablets that have no positive effect on me because I am still suffering from a very bad stomachache. Tablets are put in small plastic cases and this is not a good way to [package] medicine. Even the way of dealing with such drugs creates my distrust about their efficiency and maybe they are expired because of putting them in plastic cases.” He added, “This is, in my point of view, a result of the absence of supervision and following up by the concerned officials. Through your newspaper I invite and ask the minister of public health to make inspection campaigns and to pay frequent sudden visits to the public hospitals and such health centers. In this way he is going to discover several problems that could get solutions and lead to a better health change.”

Public Drugs Sold to Private Sector

Although there are adequate drugs, many are stolen and sold to the private sector, according to an official source in the Supreme Drugs Authority. The source states that birth control belonging to the Ministry of Health has been discovered being sold in private pharmacies at Al-Jumhori Hospital. There are many drugs belonging to the Ministry of Health being sold secretly to the private sector during distribution among governorates, the same source indicated. Currently, investigation of two suspects is underway. Secret investigation committees have also been formed in Sana’a, Taiz and Hodeidah in order to determine if drugs belonging to the Ministry are in fact being sold to the private sector.

The Problem of Centralization0

Dr. Najeeb Ghanim, ex-health minister and current chairman of the health committee in Parliament confirmed receiving several complaints regarding corruption in the health sector.

Centralization is one of the main causes of this problem, as imported drugs are stored in one central location and not distributed to public hospitals and health centers immediately. According to Dr. Ghanim, delayed distribution increases chances for the drugs to be stolen and then sold to the private sector. He added, “There is a big problem, from which the health sector suffers, [and that is the] sharp shortage of life-saving drugs such as kidneys drugs, drugs for incurable diseases like cancer and cirrhosis and drugs for chronic diseases such as saccharine, high blood pressure and so on.”

Dr. Ghanim has spoken out about the existence of expired drugs and drugs that do not meet property quality specifications. He also indicated that funding for drugs is inadequate, averaging $1.50 per patient. Funding needed amounts to around 6 billion Yemeni riyals whereas the current funding lags at one billion two hundred Yemeni riyals.

Struggle Between Ministry of Health & Medical Companies

During a July 4th demonstration, considered the first of its kind in Yemen, kidney patients demanded that the ministry stop importing “fake medicines,” accusing the ministry of buying uncertified medicine at low costs and then charging patients highly inflated prices.

Minister of Public Health Dr. Rasae accused major medical companies, blacklisted by the Ministry of Health, of devising a campaign against the ministry.

Such conflict between the ministry and medical companies does nothing to solve medication shortages. In the end, Yemeni citizens who rely on public access to such medicine are the ones who suffer.

Funny how the drug trafficers and other criminals never escape.

Almotamar.net - Specialised Criminal Court condemned Tuesday a person for drug trafficking and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

In its session today chaired by Judge Radqwan al-Nimr the court announced its judgment against defendant Saleh Saleh Jlaidan who was captured at Al-Qafla checkpoint, the entrance of Amran governorate 5 May 2007 and inn his possession 285 kg of drugs. The serving of his sentence begins from the date of arresting him.

Yemen Times

Over 4000 kg of hashish, 804,000 pills of amphetamine, and 115 bags of cannabis were confiscated in Yemen during the first half of this year, according to Moneer Al-Janadi, director of Taiz anti-drug branch.

Al-Janadi’s statement came during a special discussion symposium organized by the Human Rights Information and Training Center as a part of their Weekly Dialogue Forum about the legal stand concerning the phenomenon of usage of drugs, some of which lead to addiction.

Al-Janadi pointed out that tranquilizers, such as diazepam, are medically used to reduce anxiety, tension, insomnia, and convulsions as well as to decrease pain that results from surgical operations and to help one give up drugs. However, overuse of such medicine can result in the depression of one’s respiratory center, unconsciousness, oblivion, frustration, weakness of memory, personality change, and sometimes death.

He also disclosed that use of such medicine has become a phenomenon among an increasing number of youth within Taiz governorate, confirming that accessibility to these kinds of drugs and their low price aggravate the problem. Furthermore, an anti-drug law issued in March 1992 does not forbid such kinds of medicine so long as they are prescribed by pharmacologists, in accordance with certain national regulations. All these factors have assisted in increasing the number of users of these drugs, resulting in an increase in drug-related crime, including suicide attempts.

Abdul Qawi Salem, executive director of the Human Rights Information and Training Center, maintained that civil society organizations play an important role in addressing such life-altering issues, noting that the center has already held a symposium on the issue of drug use and addiction, during which participants concentrated on the educational, psychological, and medical effects of using such drugs. He further added that the second symposium aimed to shed light on the legal side of the same phenomenon.

Judge Abdul Salam Moqbil, member of Prosecution of Appeal in Taiz, indicated that drug use is amongst the serious problems that affect people’s physical and mental health as well as putting a strain on relevant government agencies, social reformers and doctors. Moqbil made clear that all countries realize the danger that these drugs pose to society at large. Hence, the drafting of legislated punishments against the drug trade, which vary from one country to another. According to Moqbil, in some countries, like China, drug traders are sentenced to death.

As for Yemen, he pointed out that the government has gradually started combating drugs since the latter part of the last century, including a law issued in 1992, which stipulates death as the punishment for drug trafficking.

Abdu Numan, head of lawyers syndicate, Taiz branch, explained that Yemen’s anti-drug law is inadequate because it does not include a specific definition of drugs. In addition, the 32nd term of the law gives the Ministry of Agriculture the right to amend the drug list, a right that is considered illegal since the ministry has no authority to amend any legislation.

Some good news. A concerted effort seems to be underway to intercept drug shipments, and seizures are up. Random factoid: most shipments come from Pakistan.

from the Yemen Observer
Large amounts of illegal drugs were seized throughout the country in 2006, say security sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. While a variety of drugs were seized, the bulk of the shipments were of hashish and heroin. “The security forces seized in 2006 more than 2,100 kilograms of drugs, mostly hashish and heroin, from the various governorates in Yemen. In addition, it seized 41,000 prescription pills of various sizes and uses.”

The government has recently stepped up its efforts to combat drugs, which resulted last year in one of the largest drug busts in recent memory. In one incident last July, security authorities in Aden destroyed 1,052 kilograms of hashish and other drugs, including heroin, the value of which was estimated at YR 526 million. “Such quantities of drugs were seized thanks to efforts by policemen in the governorate who fight the phenomenon of trafficking drugs between Yemen and the neighboring countries,” said Chief of Aden Security Department, Colonel Abdullah Qairan.

“In cooperation with security authorities, many outlets, which had been used for transporting these harmful substances, have been controlled by the concerned bodies in the government and civil community organizations,” he added The security forces added that 221 suspects are on trial, and awaiting their verdict on drug selling. Most of the suspects imprisoned are Yemeni, while four are from other Arab countries, and 14 are from other foreign countries.

Ten of this last group were Pakistani. They were caught in Mahra governorate, in a bust that apprehended 25 suspects, who allegedly imported drugs from foreign counties across the vast Yemeni coastline. According to the authorities, a large proportion of the drugs that enter Yemen come through Pakistan. Dr. Wadee Azazi, a specialized professor in economics says that the reason that drug use is not as widespread in Yemen as it is in other countries in the region is because qat is seen as a light and cheaper replacement for other drugs.

Also, due to poor economic situations in the country, the majority of citizens don’t consider drugs an option. “If it wasn’t for the wide spread of qat in Yemen, we would have seen the use of drugs at least ten times more than what it is today. In neighboring countries, it has become a phenomenon to their economies and fatal to their lives.” According to a study conducted by the Yemen Polling center, over 21 percent of Yemenis don’t have enough money to buy food for their families.

Even though Yemeni people do not tend to be heavy users of any other drugs other than qat, Yemen is still a major route in taking drugs to different countries in the region. “The coast line of the country is very long, which makes it an easy route for many drug dealers to enter the substance in the country. Even though security forces re guarding the coastline, dealers still find ways to enter drugs in the country one way or another,” said Azazi. Considering the strategic location of Yemen, drugs are usually shipped from Southeast Asia through the Gulf of Aden and other coasts around the country. From there, they can be shipped to numerous gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and other countries in the region.

Most of the country’s drugs naturally pass through the cities nearest to the sea. Hodeidah and Aden and Sana’a are among the major places in the country where drugs can be found. Aden is also considered to have the highest number of drug users in the country, according to local observers. Drugs are often sold in clubs, certain hotels, or occasionally, you will notice prostitutes themselves selling drugs, therefore attracting more customers, and being in a position to influence the use of drugs among local who contact them.