Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Dubai Police rescued a girl from the grip of an electronic blackmailer who lured her to buy electronic cigarettes through a social media platform after making her believe the cigarettes cause a feeling of comfort.

An ad for electronic cigarettes attracted the victim while browsing a social networking site, as it said cigarettes cause a feeling of comfort because they contain an anesthetic solution which has a quick and harmless effect, so she contacted the advertiser, who told her how to pay and receive the shipment.

The girl who took advantage of her mother going out to work, received the shipment, and started smoking the cigarette but after several days, the mother discovered it and contacted the Dubai Police.

Major General Expert Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs at Dubai Police warned against gangs exploiting social media apps and websites to promote drugs, stressing that the General Department of Narcotics Control in Dubai Police is working around the clock to combat criminal methods despite the gangs’ efforts to constantly develop their criminal ways.

Al Mansouri appealed to anyone who receives messages promoting narcotic substances not to deal with them at all, block the phone number of the sender and instantly notify Dubai Police, whether through the toll-free call centre 901, the electronic crime platform “E Crime” of the Dubai Police on its smart application, or through the Electronic website of the Dubai police.

He explained that the General Department of Narcotics Control in Dubai, during the second quarter of 2023, banned 560 accounts on social media sites which promoted drugs.

Al Mansouri stressed the role of the family in protecting society, keeping an eye on the behaviour of children, and preventing the young from falling into the clutches of drug addiction.

For its part, the Public Prosecution warned against the crime of spreading  information for trafficking or promoting drugs, as part of its efforts to contribute to supporting the competent authorities to combat this scourge by educating the public about the dangers of this crime in accordance with Federal Law No. 14 of 1995 regarding combating narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, which stipulates that possession of drugs and psychotropic substances for trafficking and promoting is a crime punishable by a sentence which could be execution.

The Public Prosecution added that article 36 of Federal Law No. 5 of 2012, on combating IT crimes, stipulates that anyone who establishes, manages, supervises or spreads information on a website or any information technical means about trafficking in, promoting narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, or facilitating their abuse, shall be liable to a penalty of temporary imprisonment and a fine of not less than Dhs500,000 and not more than Dhs1 million.