Dubai Customs has called on the international community to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of information on illicit networks to help curb the proliferation of the smuggling of contraband material such as narcotics and weapons, thus threatening the security and economy of world countries. The appeal was made by Ahmad Butti Ahmad, Executive Chairman for Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporations and Director General of Dubai Customs addressing a conference hosted by Google Ideas, the Google network’s creative think tank, held from July 16 to July 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. The conference was attended by over 200 experts and specialists involved in security issues, the protection of ports and borders, and the fight against illicit networks. The summit, which was held under the theme ‘Illicit Networks: Forces in Opposition,’ aimed at highlighting the major challenges faced by the airport management sector, particularly across important ports around the world while also throwing the spotlight on best practices used to intercept and combat illicit global networks.