Dubai Police has taken legal action against 18 suspects and confiscated 17 tankers allegedly used to illegally dispose of sewage, petrochemical waste and other hazardous materials at unauthorised locations across Dubai.

The cases were uncovered during the first half of 2026 by the Environmental Crimes Section of Dubai Police’s Economic Crimes Department, in cooperation with Dubai Municipality and the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority.

Authorities identified violations of regulations governing the transportation and disposal of hazardous materials, following which legal proceedings were initiated against the suspects and the tankers used in the alleged violations were seized.

Dubai Police stressed that sewage, petrochemical waste and other harmful materials must be transported and disposed of only at designated locations and in accordance with approved procedures.

The enforcement action comes amid increased monitoring of waste and wastewater transportation in Dubai. In a separate August operation, Dubai Municipality used field patrols, community reports and its Rasid electronic monitoring platform to identify suspicious tanker movements and unauthorised wastewater disposal. Violators can face fines of up to Dh100,000 per incident, along with vehicle seizure and other penalties.

The latest action highlights the growing focus on traceability and compliance across Dubai’s waste and wastewater management chain, particularly for hazardous liquid waste.

Specific penalties for waste disposal

Dubai's existing penalty framework also specifies fines for particular waste-related violations. According to the latest Gulf News review of the applicable legislation, these include: