Dubai: An Emirati man was arrested on Sunday after he turned up at Dubai Mall wearing only his white cotton underwear.
He was with four friends, who were dressed in traditional clothing worn mostly indoors or for bed.
The men were nabbed on an escalator in the early hours of the third day of Eid, by Dubai Police officers patrolling the Mall, police officials told Gulf News.
Lt Colonel Ahmad Humaid Al Merri, director of the Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police, said on Monday that an Emirati man who works for a government department, was arrested for showing his underwear in public.
Al Merri said that the man, who is 20 years old, was arrested along with his four Emirati friends.
“The man who was wearing his white cotton underwear was naked on the top,” said Al Merri. “The five men, who are all aged between 20 and 21, were spotted by the police at Dubai,” he said.
Police approached the men and asked them to follow them to the police station inside the mall.
“The four men were not taking the issue seriously and they said they did this for fun only,” Al Merri said.
He said the men were then arrested on Sunday morning and taken to the Criminal and Investigation Department.
“The five accused are facing charges of indecent behaviour in public,” Al Merri said. “The mall is used by families, women and children and such improper behaviour is unacceptable,” he added.
“Those men should have respect for the public and police will not accept their excuses that they did this for fun.”
Al Merri said the case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutor for further investigation.
“The men were not bailed out by us and they are still under arrest and their case is now being handled by the Public Prosecutor,” Al Merri said.
