DUBAI, 31st July, 2026 (WAM) -- Dubai Police, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, brought together national and international experts to examine the growing challenges of combating human trafficking in the digital age, highlighting the importance of innovation, strategic partnerships and coordinated action in tackling increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.
Organised by the Human Trafficking Crime Monitoring Centre at the General Department of Human Rights at Dubai Police, the seminar marked the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons under the theme “Human Trafficking in the Digital Age: From Online Recruitment to Dismantling Scam Centres and Tracing Criminal Assets.”
In his opening address, Major General Saif bin Abed Al Muhairi, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Excellence and Pioneering Affairs, said organised crime has rapidly expanded into digital spaces, exploiting artificial intelligence, social media platforms and transnational fraud networks to recruit victims, manage exploitation operations and conceal criminal proceeds through complex financial systems.
He stressed that combating these crimes requires proactive action, institutional integration, international cooperation and continuous innovation rather than reactive responses.
Al Muhairi added that Dubai Police continues to strengthen its policing capabilities through innovation, AI, digital analysis, financial investigations and capacity building, while expanding cooperation with local, regional and international partners.
He emphasised that success depends on effective partnerships between government institutions, judicial authorities, regulatory bodies, academic institutions and international organisations.
He also highlighted the significance of the Ministry of Interior’s newly launched Anti Human Trafficking Policy, which provides a comprehensive national framework for preventing the crime, protecting victims, prosecuting offenders and strengthening institutional coordination among relevant authorities.
Dr Muhannad Fayez Al Dweikat, representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for the GCC countries, said that the seminar reflects a forward-looking understanding of how human trafficking has evolved in the digital environment, where victims may be recruited through deceptive online advertisements, exploited within organised scam centres and subjected to financial crimes involving electronic payment systems and digital assets.
The panel explored the latest challenges posed by digital transformation to human trafficking crimes and examined modern approaches to prevention, investigation and victim protection through enhanced cooperation and advanced technologies.
The seminar concluded with the honouring of supporting organisations and strategic partners for their contributions to strengthening the national framework for combating human trafficking.
The event brought together experts, specialists, representatives of the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and strategic partners.