Public Prosecution moves to close legal loopholes in drug cases
This shift in procedure reflects a broader institutional effort to strengthen the rule of law, ensure fair trials, and close procedural loopholes that have allowed individuals to escape conviction due to technicalities.

In a decisive step aimed at tightening procedures and preventing the collapse of drug-related cases in court, the Public Prosecution has issued new instructions to the Ministry of Interior, requiring that all persons arrested in suspected drug and psychotropic substance cases be referred directly to the Public Prosecution, bypassing local police stations affiliated with the General Department of Investigations.
This directive, issued through a circular from Ali Al-Dashti, Director of the Drugs and Alcohol Prosecution Office, under the supervision of Counselor Dr. Omar Al-Masoud and Attorney General Saad Al-Safran, aims to rectify procedural violations that have previously led to the dismissal of drug charges in court due to unauthorized investigative actions.
The Prosecution noted that in many cases received from the General Department of Investigations, police stations had registered incidents involving individuals found in abnormal states as misdemeanor charges, under labels such as “suspected drunkenness” or “possession of drug paraphernalia.” In such cases, investigators would then send the suspects to the General Department of Criminal Evidence for urine testing.
When test results confirmed the presence of narcotic or psychotropic substances, cases were then upgraded to felonies and referred to the Prosecution. However, courts have invalidated many of these cases because the investigators lacked the legal authority to order such tests in felony cases, rendering the procedures null and benefiting the accused.
To address this, the circular stipulates that all individuals found in an abnormal condition, in possession of drug-use tools, or those who admit drug use to police, must be referred directly to the General Department for Combating Narcotics.
The Narcotics Department must register the incident under a felony case number, after which the suspect must be referred immediately to the Public Prosecution for legally valid investigation procedures.
This means only the Public Prosecution is authorized to issue search warrants or order urine tests in felony drug cases.
The Prosecution emphasized that these changes are not only meant to ensure procedural soundness but also to protect the constitutional and legal rights of suspects, ensuring they are not subjected to legally flawed processes.
In line with this, prosecutors have been instructed to carefully verify information in all search warrant requests; ensure that warrants are written and stamped by authorized prosecutors and avoid reliance on pre-printed or templated forms that have previously led to court challenges and case dismissals.
Legal sources explained to Al-Jarida that these circulars aim to resolve repeated procedural flaws that have led to acquittals in drug cases due to improper investigative steps.
The move also reflects the Public Prosecution’s commitment to upholding legal safeguards, enhancing the integrity of criminal investigations, and restoring public confidence in the judicial process.
This shift in procedure reflects a broader institutional effort to strengthen the rule of law, ensure fair trials, and close procedural loopholes that have allowed individuals to escape conviction due to technicalities.