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Ramadan 2018: 91 beggars held in Dubai, Sharjah in four days

Dubai/Sharjah - Beware! Beggars may contact you over phone.

Brigadier Mohammed Rashid bin Sari Al Muhairi, deputy director of the Dubai Police criminal investigation department for crime monitoring, warned residents of beggars using electronic devices to reach out for money.
Also read: Dh5,000 fine, 3-month jail for begging in UAE
Though the Dubai Police monitor beggars electronically, through the e-patrol system of the cybercrime department as part of the anti-begging campaign, the

residents were urged not to respond 'sympathetically' to unknown persons demanding money from outside the country. He added that such people know they do not fall under the law.

It's been just four days into Ramadan, but the police in Dubai and Sharjah have already rounded up 91 beggars. In Dubai, the police arrested 78 beggars.

Brigadier Mohammed Rashid bin Sari Al Muhairi, deputy director of the police's criminal investigation department for crime monitor, warned residents not to sympathise with beggars as they use tricks to appeal to residents' generosity, especially during the holy month.
Also read: Beggar arrested after pocketing Dh300,000 in Dubai

In Sharjah, the police have rounded up 13 beggars. A top police officer said their campaign against the beggar menace has led to residents reporting beggars in large numbers.

Lt.-Col Abdul Rahman Al Shamsi, director of the police's wanted department, said their annual anti-begging campaign during Ramadan has helped bring down the number of beggars in the emirate.

The Dubai Police launched an anti-begging campaign just before the holy month of Ramadan though begging incidents have shown tremendous drop in the emirate

However, beggars were found at shopping malls and supermarkets during the first week of Ramadan in Dubai, according to Colonel Ali Salem Al Shamsi, director of the department of combating infiltrators at the Dubai Police general directorate of criminal investigation.

He added that the police have arrested 232 beggars during the first quarter of this year, compared to 653 beggars seized in 2017.

Disclosing the details of the arrest, Brigadier Mohammed Rashid bin Sari Al Muhairi, deputy director of the Dubai Police criminal investigation department for crime monitoring, said among the arrested beggars was one who pretended to have an amputated arm. It later emerged that he was hiding the arm inside his shirt. Another woman was using her baby to beg for alms outside a shopping mall. Yet another beggar with a shoulder injury was arrested from outside a mosque.

Investigations showed that the majority of the arrested beggars had come to the UAE on visit visas. Some others had come on business visas and police are investigating how they obtained it as they were not qualified for it.

He added that some of the arrested beggars said that they were interested in begging, and the women beggars were found to be exploiting their babies to win the sympathy of the public.

amira@khaleejtimes.com, afkarali@khaleejtimes.com