Emirates: The General Department of Criminal Investigation (CID) at Dubai Police recorded a 31.2 per cent drop in the number of criminal reports in 2021 compared to the previous year.

The department has also introduced 14 innovative projects that contributed to maintaining security and safety in the emirate, said a press statement issued on Sunday.

These statistics were revealed during the annual inspection of the General Department of Criminal Investigation (CID), which was recently carried out in the Partners Hub at Expo 2020 Dubai by Lt-Gen Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, commander-in-chief of Dubai Police.

Al Marri praised the efforts exerted by the CID officers and employees and encouraged them to continue work with high efficiency and effectiveness towards enhancing the security and safety of the emirate.

Al Marri was also briefed on the achievements and statistics of the Department of Anti-Economic Crime, which recorded 2,235 cases, arrested 2,536 accused, and seized more than Dh9.3 billion ($2.5 billion) worth of counterfeit and fake products over the past five years.

Wanted persons

Al Marri also reviewed a number of initiatives implemented by the Wanted Persons Department, including the 'Criminal Status of Financial Cases' service in financial cases that benefited 53.1 per cent of users and recorded the settlement of Dh1.383 billion from January 2021 to September 2021.

Al Marri also reviewed the results of "the Smart Notification Service" initiative that informs individuals wanted for financial cases or have travel bans due to financial cases via SMS. The force's automated service benefited 35.5 per cent of the total number of service users and recorded the settlement of Dh732.79 million.

Al Marri was briefed on the statics of the remote trial initiative, which benefited 1,538 wanted persons. Meanwhile, the department also arrested 145 international fugitives wanted for various charges between January and September 2021.

Dubai tourist police

Last year, the Dubai Tourist Police Department delivered 33 awareness lectures for 2,825 hospitality workers across the emirate. The Department also responded to six humanitarian cases over the same year.

Al Marri reviewed the Tourist Police Department's key performance indicators and future projects. He then praised the efforts of Tourist Police, who ensure the safety, security, and happiness of Dubai visitors and tourists.

Lost and found

The Lost and Found Department also presented their strategic programmes and indicators, including last year efforts which resulted in returning 305 worth of Dh373,300 items to owners.

The Department also launched a number of initiatives, including carrying out 401 awareness visits to inform 13,324 beneficiaries on the Lost-and-Found Law in the UAE. In addition to the Zero Unclaimed Found Items campaign, which benefited 789 people through 263 visits, as well as honouring 12 honest individuals for returning found items and cash to the force.

Crime prevention

Al Marri listened to an explanation about the achievements, initiatives and innovative projects of the Crime Prevention Department, which conducted 6,840 security patrols that arrested 308 wanted persons on various charges, and handled 315 security vulnerabilities in cooperation with partners from government agencies.

Criminal training and development

Al Marri was also briefed on the performance indicators of the Criminal Training and Development Department who organised 95 courses, workshops and lectures during 2021, compared to 73 in 2020.