«Fight begging» arrests 604 people in Dubai last Ramadan

Strict measures against any company involved in bringing in beggars on tourist visas

• Dubai Police during the announcement of its annual campaign «Fight Begging». From the source

• Dubai Police confirmed that begging is intrusive behavior and distorts the public appearance. Emirates Today

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Dubai Police, in cooperation with its partners, launched yesterday its annual campaign "Fight Begging", under the slogan "Begging is a wrong concept of compassion", pointing out that the campaign resulted in the arrest of 604 people, during the past year, while it witnessed a remarkable response by members of the public, as it received 2235 reports of cases of begging through various platforms of Dubai Police.

The Deputy Director of the General Department of Investigations and Criminal Investigations for Administration and Control, Brigadier Saeed Suhail Al-Ayali, revealed during a press conference yesterday that there are several cases of beggars who were found in possession of large sums of begging proceeds, including a person who hid 300,100 dirhams inside artificial limbs, and another who won <>,<> dirhams.

The representative of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Lt. Col. Abdullah Ateeq, confirmed that the department is taking strict measures against companies that are involved in bringing beggars into the country.

In detail, Brigadier Saeed Al Ayali said that the annual anti-begging campaign launched by Dubai Police, in cooperation with partners, targets a group that represents a danger to society, and distorts the civilized appearance of the emirate, pointing out that the campaign resulted in the seizure of 604 people, 382 beggars, and 222 street vendors, during the past year, pointing out that more than 90% of those seized came to the country on visit visas.

He added that these people are taking advantage of the desire of members of society to do good during the month of Ramadan, pointing to the seizure of a person who was hiding in his prosthetic limbs about 300,100 dirhams, another who won 70,<> dirhams, and a third <>,<> dirhams, in addition to others who were seized with large sums of money, which they collected from begging.

The Director of the General Department of Punitive and Correctional Institutions, Brigadier General Marwan Julfar, stressed that the UAE is one of the leading and pioneering countries to do good and help the needy and needy in various countries of the world, and charities and philanthropists do not hesitate to help the needy, and anyone can resort to these associations to obtain aid, if it is proven that he actually needs it, but for individuals to beg in public places and streets is unacceptable and punishable by law.

Al-Ayali stressed that in light of the expertise the police have about the false tricks of beggars, the campaign focuses on directing donations to official bodies, such as licensed charities, because they have lists of real needy.

Begging is an alien behaviour to the state and has other security repercussions, he said, as begging may turn into theft if they have the opportunity.

Lt. Col. Abdullah Ateeq, from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, said the department has taken strict measures to ensure that these practices are deterred, imposing controls and requirements on tourism companies to check people who come on tourist visas.

He stressed that there are punitive measures against companies that are involved in one way or another in bringing beggars with tourist visas, which are graded according to the mistake or transgression committed by the company, and in the event of repetition, the penal action amounts to reducing its share of visas, and possibly a total ban.

He pointed out that there are immediate measures also taken against people who come on tourist visas, and do not have the ingredients, or it turns out that they came for other purposes such as begging, up to returning them directly in the same way they came, stressing that these measures have greatly limited the arrival of beggars on tourist visas.

Illicit gains

The Assistant Director of the General Department for Criminal Operations Affairs, Brigadier Saeed Al-Qamzi, said that begging is linked to other crimes, such as theft and pickpocketing, and the exploitation of children and patients in these practices to achieve illegal gains, noting that people involved in begging are referred to the competent judicial authorities under Federal Law No. 9 of 2018.

Colonel Ali Salem Al Shamsi, Director of the Anti-Infiltrators Department at the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Investigations, said that the annual anti-begging campaign achieves positive results year after year, as a result of increasing community members' awareness of the dangers of dealing with beggars, and the need to report them through the official channels of Dubai Police, whether the call center (901), the "Police Eye" service on the Dubai Police smart application, and the "E-Crime" platform.

He pointed out that Dubai Police received through these platforms 2235 reports during the past year, 1956 through the call center (901), and 279 reports through the "Police Eye" service.

Dubai police arrest beggar hiding 300,100 dirhams in prosthetic limbs. Another has <>,<> dirhams.