Officials at the Coast Guard week.
Smuggling attempts through the sea borders have dropped drastically with introduction of an advanced surveillance system that is locally developed, a senior official said yesterday.
The Coast Guard has foiled several attempts by smugglers with the support vessels and radars developed in Qatar, said Brigadier Jaber Ali Al Attiyah, Assistant Director General of the Coast Guard and Border Security Directorate.
“Our borders are fully secured. Smugglers are looking for loopholes and they are monitoring the department’s readiness to respond. That is why we are keen to own the latest equipment and devices to protect our borders,” Al Attiyah told the media during the opening of the GCC Coast Guard Week yesterday.
The event being held at Al Bandar at Doha Corniche aims to raise public awareness about marine safety procedures. The four-day activities under the theme “Our aim is safety and security” are organized by the General Directorate of Coasts and Borders Security.
"We have also taken many steps to preserve the marine environment by catching violations and report them to the authorities concerned like Ministry of Municipality and Environment," said the official.
An exhibition being held on the sideline of the event showcases the latest naval security devices and equipment, including some vessels made by Qatar, in addition to radars that were developed by Qatar.
"We have also new boats never used before and recently reached from Turkey," he added.
Coast guard week observed
The Coast Guard week is held in line with the decisions of the GCC Interior Ministers meet in order to spread and raise the maritime safety awareness for sea goers as well as enhance mutual collaboration between Coasts Guard authorities in GCC countries.
It is necessary for sea goers to visit the exhibition to see the latest naval security devices and equipment to protect themselves from sea risks, said Staff Brigadier (Navy) Ali Ahmad al-Budaid, Director General of the General Directorate of Coasts and Borders Security. Al Attiyah said that the tasks of the General Directorate of Coast and Border Security are multiple in the fields of border protection, search and rescue, as the exhibition showcases the advanced and modern equipment used by the Directorate in their tasks. He urged all citizens and residents to visit the exhibition and see the associated activities.
The exhibition features several models of boats used by the Coast Guards in their mission, including the new "Makhbat", the first boat manufactured by the General Directorate of Coast and Border Security and "Qasar", which is used as a supply vessel for maritime patrols, among others.
The equipment on display include the aerial reconnaissance unit, which includes a group of aircraft used for maritime security and rescue operations on the coasts as well as search for missing persons.
