DUBAI, 17 March 2008 — Undercover police arrested a drug dealer in possession of heroin worth 2.2 million dirhams (around $600,000) recently.
The man, who is of an Asian nationality, was arrested selling 7 kilograms of heroin to the officers. Police later discovered a further 15 kilograms of heroin, which had been intended for other customers, in the man’s possession.
Anti-drugs police from the Dubai Criminal Investigations Department had been monitoring the man’s movements for over a month.
Meanwhile, as part of its war on drugs, Dubai police have launched a rehabilitation program to help 5,000 addicts in the Arab world kick the habit. The campaign, titled Protection, has been organized by Dubai police, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Right Start Foundation International.
“The Arab region has been through many crises and wars, which have left behind many tragedies that have prompted a lot of young men to take drugs,” said Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, chief of Dubai police.
He added that there are 10 million drug addicts in the Arab world — a number that highlights the gravity of the problem and the need to raise awareness about it.
He also mentioned the negative impact of indecent satellite channels on the Middle East’s younger generation, and stressed the need for a modern religious approach to guide youngsters and protect them from drugs.
