Oman toughens drug penalties, expands regulatory oversight

MUSCAT: Oman’s Law on Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances increases fines and prison terms for certain offences and widens regulatory oversight to cover chemical precursors, veterinary establishments and allied health professionals.

In an outline of the law’s key provisions, the Public Prosecution said the legislation, issued by Royal Decree 67/2026, raises both the minimum and maximum terms of imprisonment for certain offences. It retains the death penalty for the most serious crimes.

The law brings chemical precursors used illicitly in the production and manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances within its scope.

Regulatory oversight also extends to veterinary establishments, placing them among the entities subject to the law’s provisions.

The legislation further expands oversight of the medical handling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances to include allied health professionals.