DUBAI // More than 250 beggars have been arrested since halfway through last month in a clampdown by Dubai Police.
Most of those arrested were from Asian countries, said Col Mohammed Al Muheiri, director of the tourist security department at Dubai Police, adding one case involved a man who pretended to be recovering from surgery.
“The man, in torn-up clothing, was wearing bandages on his torso and chest and said that he had recently undergone surgery, but it turned out he did not have wounds when he was taken to a clinic to remove the bandages,” Col Al Muheiri said.
Lt Col Ali Al Shamsi, director of the illegal residents department at Dubai Police, said beggars were also taking to social media.
“There are a number of text messages making the rounds on such social platforms,” Lt Col Al Shamsi said.
He said a message on WhatsApp claimed to be from a mother of five girls who was in desperate need of money after her husband had died.
Maj Gen Ibrahim Al Mansouri, head of the CID at Dubai Police, has warned people against empathising with the beggars.
He said that Dubai and many charitable organisations do their job to help those in need.
Maj Gen Al Mansouri reiterated that society plays an important role in stopping beggars, who often target women and children during Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
