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A smashed radar - picture for illustrative purposes only Image Credit: Picture Credit: Umm Al Quwain police

Sharjah: Police are hunting for a vandal who shot 11 speed radars in Sharjah on Monday, Gulf News has learnt.

An unidentified person targeted the devices between Meleiha and Al Madam roundabouts on Monday morning, an official at Sharjah police told Gulf News.

The radars cost Dh250,000 each.

Police received a tip-off from a local caller who notified them that the radars were being shot at by a youth.

Sharjah police formed a special team to track down the person who had targeted the newly installed radars.

Motive unknown

An official said: “We collected evidence from the spot and are about to nab the person who committed the crime. We don’t know his motivation to commit such a crime,” he said.

It is believed that the accused had earlier been caught speeding by radars and was trying to evade paying fines.

“The person responsible for shooting the radar will be arrested soon. He will be punished according to the UAE law,” the police official added.

Officials said Sharjah police summoned the first 30 people who had spread the news via Blackberry to see whether there was a connection to them.

Sharjah Police last September received instructions from Maj Gen Humaid Mohammad Al Hudaidi, Director General of Sharjah Police, to install 26 speed radars on different roads and to increase the number of ambulance assistance points.

Several incidents of radar damage have taken place in Ras Al Khaimah in the last year, including glass smashed and paint sprayed on them, and in Umm Al Quwain where on August 18 last year, a radar was set on fire three days after it was installed. On September 5, the same radar on Gheila road was set on fire again.