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Beggar hides Dh100,000 in artificial limb, arrested in Dubai

Dubai - Some of the money recovered was in foreign currency.

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A beggar who had Dh45,000 stashed away in his artificial limb has been arrested in Dubai. That was not all, the police also recovered an additional Dh55,000 from him - taking the total amount recovered to a whopping Dh100,000. The beggar - an Asian man in his sixties - was picked up by a police patrol on the first day of Eid Al Fitr after the Juma prayers in Al Quoz.
On frisking him, the police found Dh25 initially. On searching him more thoroughly, the police recovered the rest of the amount, some of which was in foreign currency.
The beggar had come to the country during the holy month of Ramadan on a visit visa. The police have notified the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs about the company that had issued the visa to him so that legal action can be taken against it.
Major-General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, assistant commander-in-chief of the Dubai Police for criminal investigation, said the Asian was among the 243 beggars rounded up as part of the police's anti-begging campaign, of which 107 were women.
Out of the arrested beggars, 195 came on visit visas, while the rest had valid residency visas.
Seven Arab women of different nationalities were arrested during the last few days of Ramadan, according to Colonel Ali Salem Al Shamsi, director of the department of combating infiltrators. Some of them entered houses with open doors in residential neighbourhoods to beg, which scared the owners who informed the police about the trespass.
One of them even sneaked into a bedroom of a house, which was open. She was arrested before she could steal anything. Two of the arrested beggars were sisters, Col Al Shamsi added.
Maj-Gen Al Mansouri said the beggars often have several tricks up their sleeves to deceive or gain sympathy of residents. Some use the money to fund other criminal activities.
He pointed out that the anti-begging campaign is organised by the Dubai Police annually before the start of the holy month of Ramadan and continues until the end of Eid Al Fitr.
amira@khaleejtimes.com

7 Arab women beggars arrested

Seven Arab women of different nationalities were arrested during the last days of Ramadan, said Colonel Ali Salem Al Shamsi, director of the Department of Combating Infiltrators in Dubai Police.
Some of them entered houses with open doors in residential neighbourhoods to beg, which scared the owners who informed the police about their trespassing.
One of them even sneaked into a bedroom of a house, which was open. She was arrested before she could carry out theft. Two of the arrested women beggars were sisters and resorted to the same method while begging, Al Shamsi said.
He pointed out no cases of begging were detected via the social media during the current year.
The number of beggars has dropped significantly this year due to the awareness campaigns organised by the police, he said, adding that the people have been reporting about beggars and cooperating with the cops.
An Asian man was spotted by a police patrol begging in Al Qusais area on the road dividing Sharjah and Dubai, Al Shamsi said. To avoid being caught by the Dubai Police, he moved towards the Sharjah side. However, his trick didn't work for long as he was nabbed soon.