The ministry of Interior revealed on Saturday that illegal drug use and crimes related to that have diminished in the country by 17 percent. The most recent ministry statistics show that up to 7,000 drug cases have been seen by courts involving the use of no less than six million illegal drug pills, said Brigadier Adel Al-Hashash, Director of Public Relations and Security Media Department, in a press statement today marking The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which is held worldwide tomorrow.

He said drug abuse and drug trafficking are taken seriously by the ministry of Interior, noting the ministry's continuous efforts at arresting drug offenders.

In that regard, he underscored the imperative that local law enforcement should work in unison with international bodies to track down organized crime outfits and gangs that traffic in drugs across international borders.

He noted that the ministry spares no resources in carrying out awareness campaigns to inform the public of the dangers of illegal drug use, stressing the importance of the roles of the family, the school, and society in such campaigns.