Abu Dhabi: Twelve Asians charged with illegally entering the country have been sentenced to a month in prison and deportation at the Al Ain Criminal Court of First Instance.
Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution in Al Ain has also sent a Gulf national and three Asians to prison pending trial for entering the UAE illegally. In the first case, two dozen Asians were apprehended after attempting to unlawfully enter the country. They confessed to the charges against them, adding that they came in from Oman where they had been residing illegally in a bid to reach their home country. They also revealed that they had paid around 200 Omani riyals (Dh1,908) to another man who drove them to the border.
In the second case, a GCC national was caught when he was reportedly trying to smuggle three Asians into Oman through Al Hili Port in Al Ain. The man allegedly hid them in the trunk of his car, posing a threat to their lives. According to court documents, the GCC national admitted to the charges against him. The three remaining individuals were deported in 2013 and also confessed to conspiring with the first suspect to smuggle them into Oman, a court statement said.
The Public Prosecution in Abu Dhabi called on all UAE citizens and residents to cooperate with authorities in a bid to eradicate this phenomenon completely, adding that smuggling individuals endangers public safety.
