Dubai: Beggar arrested after claiming the need to build a mosque and collecting 300,000 Dhs

Dubai Police arrested an Asian man who collected 300,000 dirhams by the claiming to need the money for the purpose of building a mosque in his country, said Brigadier General Mohammad Rashid bin Saree Al Muhairi, deputy director of the Dubai Police General Investigation and Criminal Investigation Department.

In another case, an elderly man made Dh 70,000 by pretending to be blind, and in yet another case, three beggars came together to con residents of Dh10,000.

Brigadier General Mohammed bin Saree announced the said the anti-begging campaign has been launched ahead of Ramadan, when scores of beggars come to the UAE specifically.

Captain Mohammed Shehab of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Faisal Al-Badawi of Dubai Municipality, officials of charities and a number of officers and media officials said that with the approaching holy month of Ramadan, Dubai Police is working with a number of bodies to launch the awareness campaign for the sixth consecutive year to combat the phenomenon of  begging.

He added that 323 beggars were arrested during the first quarter of this year, 171 of them males and 61 females, while 3 cases of child exploitation were recorded last year.

A total of 154 beggars were arrested in a campaign last year with 118 males and 36 females. The beggars devised new methods every day, often in front of mosques, shopping malls, markets, etc., calling the public to report them by dialing 901.

He pointed out that according to certain considerations over the past years, the city will be divided into sectors that will be monitored by officers. The police have colour-coded the different areas: ‘Red’ means heavy presence of beggars; ‘orange’ indicates fewer beggars; while ‘green’ means the area is beggar-free.shopping malls and markets.

Brigadier Saeed Bin Sulaiman pointed out that complaints from citizens and residents of the Rashidiya area have been monitored, proving the presence of beggars who take advantage of open doors and enter the house, warning of the consequences and that it may be cause crimes.

Brigadier General Ahmed Thani Bin Ghalaita said that street vendors who sell souvenirs are subject to the law of begging and legal action will be taken against them.

According to Bin Ghalaita, a number of women were included in the “begging” campaign team. The meeting is also held weekly with mosque officials and imams to address and warn of this phenomenon in Friday sermons.