Dubai Police arrest 30 beggars before fasting month

Dubai: Dubai Police say they have arrested 30 beggars in five days as part of their intensified campaign to curb the practice, which increases during Ramadan.

The "Combat Street Beggars" campaign, launched on July 27, will run till Eid Al Fitr. Dubai Police have urged the public to cooperate with them.

As part of their fight against the crime a team of more than 30 police patrol units will monitor mosques and neighbourhoods for the presence of beggars, and follow up tip-offs about beggars from members of the public.

Based on studies of past cases, the campaign will also investigate tour companies which bring beggars into the country.

Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director General of the General Department for Criminal Investigations at Dubai Police, said a total of 246 beggars were arrested in the first half of this year.

A total of 1,232 street beggars were arrested in 2006. The numbers arrested fell to 987 in 2007 and 578 in 2008. However, the number of beggars arrested rose again to 618 last year.

Tourism companies

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Al Muhairi, Director of Tourist Security at Dubai Police, told Gulf News: "We have realised that groups and individual beggars were issued visas with the assistance of specific tourism companies.

"Our focus is not only on combating street begging but those who assist these individuals".

Other forms of begging which were illegal included having unauthorised individuals to wash cars.

"This is a disguise for them to beg," he said.

Other forms of begging included people approaching motorists near petrol stations with verses of the Quran printed on cards and seeking financial assistance.

A new begging method emerging recently in Dubai when mendicants placed a note on the windshield of cars bearing verses from the Quran, and a humanitarian appeal. The letter included bank account and contact details for assistance, he said.

Visit visas

Most beggars had been found to be on visit visas. Few were illegal residents and infiltrators.

Acting Chief of Dubai Police Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina said: "We had few cases of organised practices whereby an individual employs or gathers people to beg in certain areas.

"We have arrested a group of women who were brought from a certain country to beg here. They were all found to be staying in an apartment."

Police said beggars used many methods to extract money from people, including pretending that they don't have money to pay for groceries or knocking on people's homes posing as neighbours.

Contact

The toll-free number of Dubai Police for reporting beggars is 800 44 38

* Audio supplied by Radio 2