Selling unlicensed medicines online can land you in jail, UAE Public Prosecution warns

DUBAI: The penalty for promoting unlicensed medical products online can land you in jail as well as face a heavy fine, the UAE Public Prosecution has warned.

In an online post on April 21, UAE Public Prosecution explained that individuals who are found guilty of this violation will be prosecuted under Article 49 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021, for Combating Rumours and E-Crimes.

According to Article 49 of the Federal Decree-Law No 34 of 2021 for Combating Rumours and E-Crimes, any person who creates, manages, or supervises a website or publishes information on the world wide web, or by any means of information technology for the promotion or sale of medical products that are unlicensed in the UAE, or that are an imitation of licensed medical products, shall be sentenced to detention and a fine, or one of these two penalties

New UAE cybercrime law

The post was part of the UAE Public Prosecution’s ongoing campaign, aimed at improving community awareness about the laws in the country. The new cybercrime law - Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 - came into effect on January 2, 2022, replacing the UAE’s former Federal Law No. 5 of 2012 on Combatting Cybercrime.