Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Police in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have denied rumours that some vendors were selling a perfume that could kill users in four days.

The rumour, which was being circulated via SMS, claimed that 18 people had died and 35 were admitted to intensive care after using the perfume.

"These stories are completely baseless and untrue," Colonel Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Deputy Director of the Dubai Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said in a statement.

Colonel Maktoum Al Sharifi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Police CID, warned the public against spreading such rumours. He said some people who spread the story had illegal business interests.

Call for caution

Al Sharifi pointed out that the message contained many mistakes, since it was unreasonable that so many people were affected and yet no warning was issued by the health authorities and the police.

"All our authorities are linked and work together as a team, which means nothing is hidden," Al Sharifi said.

"Our government's transparency makes it a must to inform the public of any incidents that affect them through the media and [other] means of communication."