ABU DHABI: The Dubai Police have arrested 977 suspects, involved in 748 drug cases during the first six months of 2016, said Major-General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police.
The police also seized 42 million narcotic pills, 55kg of cocaine and 35kg marijuana from the suspects, Maj.-Gen. Al Mansouri said, adding that 296 of the suspects were charged with drug use, 247 with drug possession, and 107 with smuggling narcotics. In 25 cases, the accused are charged with drugs trading, 60 with promoting drugs and 13 others with importing drugs.
Al Mansouri praised the efforts of Dubai Police officials for keeping the emirate free from the menace of drugs. He said the cooperation from international drug authorities helped reduce the supply of narcotics to Dubai.
Colonel Eid Mohammed Thani Hareb, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department, Dubai Police, said that in 2015, the police arrested 686 suspects, of whom 314 were charged with drug use, and 28 with trading. A total of 120.8kg of various drugs were seized in the first half of 2016, while the quantity was 100.6kg in 2015.
He said that the department has given 132 tips-off to international authorities, which helped in many arrests. Dubai Police have cooperated with police authorities worldwide, leading to the dissemination of drug trafficking gangs and prevention of drug use, Col. Hareb said. The information given by Dubai Police helped in the seizure of 5kg of cocaine from a traveller in Copenhagen, while another tip-off resulted in the confiscation of 485kg heroin from a wooden dhow in Australian waters.
More tip-offs by Dubai Police led to the arrests of drug suspects in Qatar, Malaysia, Egypt and Singapore, he added.
As part of its awareness initiatives, Dubai Police organised 11 lecture programmes and 67 exhibitions in the same period.
