Sharjah Police have alerted the public to block and report any phone number that promotes the sale of any type of controlled medicine or drug, according to a senior police official.
The main challenge that police face is promotion of drugs on the internet, particularly on social networking sites. To promote drugs, traffickers have recently sent voice messages or texts to random phone numbers in the UAE.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Majid Al Asam, director of Sharjah Police's Anti-Narcotics Department, the force is hounding such phone numbers, websites, and social networks and has already blocked a large number of them.
He urged residents to work with security officers to combat drug promotion and to report any suspicious activity to 8004654 or the Sharjah Police app. He said drugs are the "Public Enemy No.1” and police are working around the clock to keep children safe from traffickers.
The UAE has a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal drug use, and drug trafficking is a serious offence. In comparison to international standards, the UAE has a low rate of illegal drug abuse. Despite the high-tech methods used by traffickers, the director claims that the drug problem is under control. He warned that the path of drug addiction can lead to one of two outcomes, death or incarceration.
“Parents should keep a close eye on their children because ignoring or neglecting them may lead to drug addiction. The police have confiscated a lot of cargo containing drug”, said Rashid Al Sheihi, Director of Sharjah Police's Anti-Narcotics Awareness Department.
As per sources, many drug dealers buy drugs and send money over the internet, and many websites promote various types of narcotic substances or controlled medicines. Some people are also reportedly depositing money into bank accounts and are then notified of drug location via WhatsApp.
