Civilian tipsters help to curb smuggling in Gulf

Tips provided by civilians in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) member states play an important role in curbing illegal smuggling activities carried out by local criminals or criminal gangs from Iran, security experts said.

Security institutions in Gulf states immediately act upon tips they receive from members of the public, in co-operation with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multinational maritime partnership based in Bahrain.

The 34-nation partnership upholds the international rules-based order by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability and prosperity across its jurisdiction.

In 2021 alone, a task force of the CMF seized and destroyed illegal drugs worth more than $193 million (at regional wholesale prices) during counter-narcotics operations near the Arabian Gulf, according to the US Navy.

"The United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoys a high level of security and safety which is owed to the community participation process adopted by the security authorities," said retired army officer Abdullah al-Ameri.

"The process is centered around a policy of aggressively pursuing tips provided by the public on all types of suspicious activities, including smuggling and other drug-related crimes," he told Al-Mashareq.

"Authorities guarantee full confidentiality of the identity of the tipsters and offer rewards in some cases," he added.

Round-the-clock surveillance

The invitation to members of the public to send in tips about suspicious activity has received a great response in the UAE "as it helps everyone feel responsible for the security and safety of the Emirates", al-Ameri said.

Tensions between Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Gulf states "made the issue of providing tips a national affair that compels everyone to do it", he said.

There are several ways to report suspicious smuggling activity to the authorities, said former Dubai Narcotics Control officer Col. Rashid Mohammed al-Marri.

"One way is to call the number 999, which is the unified emergency number for the police in all cities of the Emirates," he said.

Call centre agents will transfer the call to the appropriate authority.

Another way is to contact the Coast Guard by calling 996 -- or 901 for the non-emergency police.

Tipsters also can provide information online via UAE police websites.

Al-Marri said all tips related to smuggling are acted upon immediately.

They are referred to the operations department of the UAE's Supreme Council for National Security, and processed by the Coast Guard and police teams of experts, he said.

In serious cases, the UAE-CMF Joint Operations Room is informed, he said.

Highest level of co-operation

"Many of the tips are acted upon jointly by the countries of the region, as many smuggling attempts are intercepted in Saudi Arabia, following tips and information obtained by the UAE, and vice versa," he said.

The presence of the CMF and the existence of the Joint Operations Room ensure there is strong co-operation between the CMF and the countries of the region on a continuous basis, he added.

"Co-operation between Gulf security institutions and the CMF is currently at the highest level it has been," said Ajman University law professor Khaled al-Zoubi, who specialises in international counter-smuggling issues.

"Positive results have been achieved by securing the coasts and pursuing smugglers of all kinds," he said.

Smuggling operations via Gulf waters are "very serious crimes", he said.

This is largely due to "one critical factor, which is Iran and its continuous attempts to undermine the security of the Gulf in various ways", he said.