UAE residents warned against consuming drugs overseas

Sharjah: Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chief of Police and Public Security in Dubai, and Chairman of the Drug Control Council of the UAE, has warned youth against the dangers of frequenting cafes and other venues where drugs are consumed even if they are legal in some countries.

Lt Gen Tamim said: “We will not hesitate to monitor these places and the young people who visit them, and arrest them upon their return to the state [UAE].”

The warning came during the inauguration of the Drug Prevention Forum under the slogan ‘Join us to stop it’ at City Centre Al Zahia Mall in Sharjah, in the presence of Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, and senior officers.

The forum was inaugurated under the patronage of Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and organised by the ministry’s General Department for Drug Control, in cooperation with Sharjah Police.

Unifying efforts

Lt Gen Tamim praised this initiative, stressing that holding such events in commercial centres is important to deliver the awareness message to all segments of society. He pointed out that the slogan ‘Join us to stop it’, launched by Sheikh Saif, is a significant call to parents, youth and the whole society to unify efforts in combating drugs.

He said criminals seek all means to introduce drugs into society, stressing that the prevention measures carried out by the police agencies are robust, as reflected by the figures for large seizures of drugs.

Lt Gen Tamim, accompanied by Maj Gen Al Shamsi, toured awareness workshops and artificial intelligence labs at the forum.