Watch out for drug distributors, say police

Drug dealers are targeting kids through the Internet, the Sharjah Police chief warned yesterday. "Kids today use the Internet a lot and gangsters know that. They are using it to get new addicts."

He also hinted that the Internet is being used to attract kids to help distribute the drugs. The warning from Colonel Saleh Ali Al Mutawa, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, yesterday came at the commemoration to mark anti-drug day. "They encourage youngsters to take drugs or to join them in the dealing gangs," he said.

This came a day after the biggest haul of drugs was made by Dubai police, highlighting the fact that drug dealers are stepping up operations in the region. Speaking at the Sharjah Cultural Palace, the police chief gave figures of some of the drugs seized by police last year, including over 1000kg of Hashish, 3.75kg of opium, over 500kg of heroin and 18kg of marijuana.