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Dubai Police arrested 604 individuals, including 382 beggars and 222 street peddlers, during last year’s Ramadan. The authority received 2,235 reports from residents related to begging, including 1,956 reports through the (901) call centre and 279 via the ‘Police Eye’ service.
This was revealed during a press conference held at the Dubai Police General Headquarters on Thursday as the authority launched its annual anti-begging campaign to raise awareness of the illegal practice.
Brigadier Saeed Suhail Al Ayali, Deputy Director of the General Department of Criminal Investigation for Administration and Control Affairs, stressed that begging is a crime infiltrating society and usually increases during the holy month of Ramadan.
He noted that the areas that beggars frequent most during the holy month of Ramadan are usually mosques, markets, residential neighbourhoods, Ramadan tents, and parking lots.
Residents have been asked not to sympathise and be deceived by beggars. They are warned that such illegal acts can lead to other crimes such as burglary and exploitation of children, elderly and people of determination to raise money illegally.
Brig Al Ayali said that the campaign neither contradicts the true values of Islam nor the generosity of the UAE nation. However, it ensures aid and assistance reach the rightful people.
Reporting channels
The annual campaigns achieve positive results yearly due to the increased awareness in the community about the dangers of dealing with beggars. People have been urged to report beggars through official channels, including Dubai Police’s call centre (901) and the ‘Police Eye’ service available on the Dubai Police smart App or via the E-crime platform to report e-begging.
Strict measures
Dubai Police have taken strict measures and set guidelines and conditions for tourism companies to ensure compliance in curbing this negative phenomenon.
Charitable societies
Mr Abdullah Al Ali, from the Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department, highlighted the importance of official and reliable channels for donation, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, and urged members of the public and philanthropists to donate through donation boxes and verified electronic channels such as smart applications, websites, and text messages.
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