An officer told Al Khaleej newspaper that Dubai Police arrested a beggar who owned three luxury cars and a huge amount of money. The man admitted to amassing a fortune by asking people for money and was arrested amid an intense campaign to combat begging in the emirate during the holy month of Ramadan. According to the officer, he was finishing his “begging shift” in broad daylight, shedding his exhausted persona for a different look before driving off in his luxury luxury car. Brigadier Ali Al Shamsi, Director of the Suspects and Criminal Phenomena Department, said that he relied on manipulating people’s emotions, fabricating stories, and crafting human details brilliantly to provide a daily performance no less than that of any for-profit organization.
The beggar found large sums of money in his possession. The officer pointed out that one person collected 25,000 dirhams and is still begging, even though the amount is sufficient to finance the trip back home. The officer said that 90% of the arrested beggars entered the country on visit visas and took advantage of the timing of Ramadan to take advantage of the generosity of citizens and residents.
Campaign against begging
Individuals who beggar in the UAE are punished with three months imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 dirhams in accordance with Federal Law No. 10 of 2019 regarding begging.
Law No. 9 of 2018. Those who run organized begging rings or recruit individuals from abroad to beg in the country may face a prison sentence of up to six months and a fine of up to 100,000 dirhams.During the first week of Ramadan, Dubai Police arrested more than 26 beggars of different nationalities as part of an “anti-begging” campaign. The campaign is organized under the slogan “A conscious society without begging” and is being implemented in cooperation with other partners, including the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai and the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities, to raise awareness about preserving the country’s civilized image and preventing begging.
The officer urged residents to report beggars by calling the toll-free number 901 or using the “Police Eye” service available on the Dubai Police smart application. In addition, Dubai Police also issued a warning to residents against falling victim to online begging during Ramadan, urging them not to engage in appeals circulating on websites and social media platforms.
