Dubai Police shuts 297 drug promotion websites in Q2 2026 anti-narcotics drive

Dubai Police blocked 297 websites promoting narcotics and shared 125 intelligence reports with international partners in the second quarter of 2026, as the force's anti-narcotics department reported progress on both enforcement and public awareness efforts.

The figures came out of a quarterly performance review chaired by Major General Hareb Al Shamsi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Affairs, covering drug-related cases, seizures and awareness campaigns run between April and June.

Drug trafficking doesn't stop at borders, and neither does the response to it, according to Brigadier Khalid bin Muwaizah, Director of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics. He told the meeting that tackling the trade depends on coordinated action between countries.

That coordination translated into 125 intelligence reports shared with international law enforcement agencies during the quarter, contributing to arrests of drug trafficking suspects abroad. Separately, the department identified and blocked 297 online platforms promoting narcotics.

Enforcement was only half of the quarter's focus. The Hemaya International Centre ran 95 awareness programmes reaching 467,879 people in person, while digital campaigns on social media pushed that reach far further — 8,723,327 people, according to figures presented at the meeting.

The campaigns centred on security awareness and were designed to pull families and communities into spotting and responding to drug-related risks early, rather than leaving detection solely to law enforcement.

Major General Al Shamsi credited officers and support staff for the quarter's results, pointing to reduced narcotics circulation, trafficker arrests and stronger overall performance across the department.

He added that continued training and technology adoption would remain central to the department's approach going forward, particularly in disrupting trafficking and distribution networks.

The review is part of a wider evaluation process Dubai Police runs across its departments each quarter, tracking performance against strategic targets and following up on recommendations from previous assessments