Dubai police have issued a warning to residents to be vigilant of suspicious WhatsApp messages from unknown numbers, as a crackdown on gangs promoting and delivering narcotics through social media continues.
Brigadier Khalid bin Muwaiza, acting director of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics in Dubai, said that the police had received over 2,200 reports of anonymous messages last year, leading to the arrest of 527 drug dealers. He explained that these messages would typically share the GPS coordinates of where the drugs were buried, and that some gangs would also send pictures, videos and audio clips on how to purchase drugs, claiming they could deliver them anywhere, as per reports from Khaleej Times.
Authorities all over the UAE have been vigilant and thorough in the fight against drug rings and their illegal activities for some time. However, the concern remains that these messages have succeeded in getting a response from people out of curiosity, particularly young people.
Lt-Col Majed Al Asam, director of the Anti-Narcotics Department at the Sharjah Police, said that drug messages were also being circulated via other social media platforms as dealers cast a wider net in search of potential buyers.
Many of these gangs operate outside the UAE, but have accomplices within the country who hand over the drugs to those who have expressed interest. They ask people to deposit money in local bank accounts and send the location of the drugs, which they bury in sandy areas. As these drug syndicates started targeting people in the UAE over the last two years, police forces across the country launched a crackdown, leading to the arrest of hundreds of dealers and accomplices.
A top official of the Abu Dhabi Police said that, together with their partners, they recently arrested 142 criminals involved in such activities in separate areas across the country. Some 816kg of various narcotic substances were seized during the cross-border operations. The police closely monitored the random messages that the gangs were sending out on WhatsApp using international phone numbers and exerted all efforts to pin down the culprits.
Sharing any information on drug trafficking and promotion on social media is a crime punishable by hefty penalties, the Federal Public Prosecution said. Whoever establishes or runs a website or publishes information related to the trafficking or promotion of narcotics could face imprisonment and a fine of no less than AED 500,000. Those who are caught sending money to buy drugs could also be jailed and fined AED 50,000 or more.
Messages from a stranger on WhatsApp .. Be Cautious!
Don't respond, interact with, or share such messages. Here's what you can do next!
Join the fight against illicit drugs by reporting such messages to the #DubaiPolice toll-free no. 901 or the E-crime platform. #DPAwareness pic.twitter.com/QiGwBLg3BN— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) January 27, 2023
