Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Dubai Police apprehended more than 500 drug dealers in the first six months of 2022. The 'No Engagement... No Reply... No Repost' program encourages community members who are contacted, harassed, or blackmailed on social media platforms by drug traffickers or criminals to report such situations anonymously, and the force will take swift action. The campaign also encourages parents to educate their children about cybercrime and the repercussions of responding to texts offering drugs or other illegal substances. The force has received complaints from community members who, after blocking communications from drug sellers, received messages from a different phone number. Brigadier Muwaiza observed that criminals were effectively using technology to avoid detection by the police. "The criminals would typically share GPS coordinates of the location of the drugs, which were usually buried in the ground in remote areas," he added. Brigadier Muwaiza stated that the Dubai Police General Department of Anti-Narcotics has been working around the clock to tackle the drug plague. He emphasized that community members can seek assistance from Dubai Police by dialing 901 or using the 'e-crime' internet portal. Brigadier Muwaiza stated that the second edition of the campaign is being launched in response to the directions of Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, to combat such behavior in two ways. The first is through awareness-raising. The authorities highlighted the role of parents in boosting their children's knowledge of the risks of drugs, safeguarding them from cybercriminals who use social media platforms to promote drugs, and advising them on what to do if they get such communications. The 'Anonymous Messages' campaign, in collaboration with the 'Al Ameen' Service, is open until November 28. BKM/ Expat Media
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