Dubai Police have arrested a 15-strong gang over a plot to sell sweets containing drugs valued at Dh2.4 million.
The force said at a press conference on Wednesday that 48kg of gummy-style sweets and chewing gum were seized as part of the major operation.
The suspects - 10 men and five women - were attempting to sell the products mixed with drugs on social media after smuggling them into the country.
“The total street market value of the drugs was around Dh2.4 million,” said Brig Abdulrahman Al Maamari, head of Hemaya International Centre, which is affiliated with the anti-narcotics department in Dubai Police.
The senior official said buyers would transfer money to the gang members, who would share GPS co-ordinates of the location of the drugs for them to collect.
Police had kept the suspects under surveillance before arresting them in a series of raids.
Brig Al Maamari urged the public to exercise caution when purchasing certain types of sweets through social media, as they may contain narcotic substances permitted in some countries but prohibited in the UAE.
Closing the net on drug gangs
Police have taken significant steps in recent years to dismantle criminal networks seeking to peddle drugs through social media and phone messaging services.
Dubai Police arrested 280 suspected traffickers accused of targeting the public through a WhatsApp drug delivery scheme in the second half of 2023.
Police said criminals were sending unsolicited WhatsApp messages to users promoting the sale of drugs such as illegal painkillers, hashish and crystal meth.
Dubai Police teamed up with the UAE's telecoms regulator to block nearly 1,300 social media accounts and websites promoting illegal drugs in 2022.
The force used dedicated electronic patrols to monitor attempts to sell illegal substances through online platforms and made 100 arrests during an operation in 2021 focused on criminals leading a WhatsApp “drug delivery service”.
Online offenders would typically share GPS co-ordinates of the location of the drugs, which were usually buried in the ground in remote areas.
