Dubai Customs explores antinarcotic cooperation with Dubai Police’s Hemaya International Training Centre

Dubai Customs held a meeting with Hemaya International Training Centre of Dubai Police - the first dedicated training agency specialized in capacity building of antinarcotic personnel in the Arab world. The initiative is in line with Dubai Customs’ commitment to its security role as the first line of defence whose mission is to safeguard the safety of local community. The move also realizes DC’s strategic objective of  forming its inspection officers, equipping them with necessary knowledge and skills to fulfil their duties in a perfect way.

The meeting discussed potentials for strengthening cooperation and coordination between Customs Training Centre at Dubai Customs and Hemaya International Training Centre of Dubai Police, and explored both the existing and future training requirements of DC’s operations and inspection staff  which may be catered for by the Hemaya Centre. Furthermore, the meeting also looked into the possibility of Hemaya Centre undertaking the design and development of special training curriculum to meet the needs of Customs work.  Elevating the performance of Customs trainers and increasing their capacities through hands-on field trainings in the specializations available to the Centre were also part of the discussion.       

The meeting was attended on the part of Dubai Customs by Dr. Abdulwahab Al Madani, Director of  Customs Training Centre, and Mr. Abdullah Al Orah, Inspectors Training Manager. On the other side, Dubai Police was represented by Major Dr. Abdulrahman Sharaf Ansari, Director of International Training Service, and Second Lieutenant Ahmed Zayed Al Bosaidi, Acting Head of Hemaya Centre Department.    

Dr. Abdulwahab Al Madani affirmed that DC’s Customs Training Centre places utmost importance on all aspects of our inspectors’ capacity building and performance enhancement in countering drug trafficking. “Our cooperation with Hemaya International Training Centre comes in line with DC’s training strategy to educate and empower our inspectors as per global best practices in the field.”  

He further noted that “combating drug trafficking is at the core of Dubai Customs’ strategy aimed at ensuring a secure community. DC is always keen on equipping its personnel with the latest knowledge and tools, enabling them to deter all deceptive methods used in smuggling narcotics  while continually raising the public awareness on their hazards.   

The meeting concluded with a mechanism for ensuring that Dubai Customs Training Centre’ training programs are aligned with those offered by Hemaya. The Dubai Police training agency was also called upon to consider covering the training needs of Customs personnel working at Al Maktoum Airports,  with a special focus on precursors, field surveillance and drugs detection courses in the realm of combating narcotics, besides offering a new course on decision making based on situational theory.

Hemaya International Training Centre offers many specialized training programs, including courses on corporate quality management, work team management, work environment strategic management, types of drugs and ways of taking and trafficking, tactics to foil smuggling bids, and the physical, psychological and social impact of drugs on the individual and the community, in addition to a course on decision making.

Dubai Customs has already taken part in the e-diploma program in strategic planning for combating narcotics, launched by Hemaya. The program, aimed at enabling inspectors to minimize the risks of drugs, provides an online certification for those involved in combating drug trafficking at a reasonable cost.