Dubai: A Pakistani cleaner in Dubai has been honoured for handing over a bag containing 15kg of gold, worth around Dh2.5 million, to the Dubai Road Transport Authority.
Taher Ali Maqbool, 27, told Gulf News the thought of keeping the solid gold bars, found in a black bag in a parking lot, never crossed his mind as he remembered what his father always told him.
“My father would say make sure your income is from honest sources and Allah will honour you and give you something better than what you would have earned from dishonest sources,” Maqbool said.
Maqbool was recently honoured by Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which operates the parking facility in Al Sabkha were the bag was found. It is not immediately clear who the bag belonged to.
“I’m very grateful to the RTA for the honour they bestowed on me. I’ve shared the news with my family back home and on Facebook and everyone is congratulating me.
“When I told my father what happened, he said I did the right thing and he was so proud of me. It’s such a great feeling.”
Maqbool, who is from Chakri village some 25 to 30km from Sialkot city in Pakistan’s Punjab province, said he was on night shift when he found the bag in a corner on the first floor of the parking facility earlier this month.
Dh 2.5 m
market value of the 15kg gold found by Taher Ali MaqboolHe called security about the find, who told him to bring the bag over to them, Maqbool said.
“The bag was really heavy. We opened it and found a tool box inside. We thought maybe a technician left his tool box behind and he will be back tomorrow to collect it.
“The next day, another security person on duty opened the tool box and we saw the gold bars inside. I wasn’t sure at first if it was really gold but I said to myself, ‘leave it, even if it is so much gold, no matter how much it is worth. It is not worth more than one dirham of honest income’. So we called the authorities and later it was confirmed that it was solid gold,” Maqbool said.
Maqbool has been working as a cleaner at the parking facility for around a month. He has been working with the same company at other locations since 2013.
I wasn’t sure at first if it was really gold but I said to myself, ‘leave it, even if it is so much gold, no matter how much it is worth. It is not worth more than one dirham of honest income’. So we called the authorities and later it was confirmed that it was solid gold.
“What I want to say to people is work hard, work honestly and never take what does not belong to you. Allah will honour you in front of everyone; that is the true reward.”
Over the years, a number of workers have been honoured for handing in huge finds of gold, cash or jewellery.
In 2016, a Bangladeshi cabbie for the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) under RTA returned 25kg of gold, worth over Dh3.5 million, to a passenger who had left it behind in his taxi. The driver was also honoured by the RTA.
