Dubai Police wasted no time on the first day of Ramadan, nabbing 17 beggars across the city. This crackdown is part of their ongoing ‘Fight Begging’ campaign, aimed at keeping the city’s image intact.
Colonel Ali Salem Al Shamsi, Director of the Suspects and Criminal Phenomena Department praised the effort, noting that 13 men and 4 women were arrested. He emphasized that begging is illegal and linked to other crimes like theft and exploiting children, the sick, and people with disabilities for illicit gains.
Al Shamsi urged people not to give money to beggars and report them instead. He reminded the public to use official channels for donations and to stay vigilant against online begging scams.
#News | Dubai Police Arrests 17 Beggars on the First Day of Ramadan
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“Official entities and charitable organisations are available for those in need of financial assistance or services like “Iftar for the Fasting,” he explained.
Al Shamsi confirmed that Dubai Police annually devises a comprehensive security plan to combat begging, intensifying patrols where beggars are likely to be found. He further highlighted that begging threatens community security, tarnishes the country’s image, and degrades its civilised appearance. He also highlighted that begging is an illegal act punishable by Federal Law No. 9 of 2018 on Combating Begging.
The Dubai Police encourage reporting beggars immediately via the contact centre (901) or the “Police Eye” service on Dubai Police’s smart App. He also warned the public against falling victim to sympathetic online messages from beggars on social media and emails featuring fabricated stories and urged them to ignore such messages and report them on www.ecrime.ae