SHARJAH // Four teenagers have been held for stealing cars and setting one on fire.
Sharjah Police said the youngsters, aged between 15 and 16, took the cars from showrooms and also stole number plates from an industrial area in the central region of the emirate.
They allegedly put the stolen number plates on the cars before performing stunts in the desert and on roads.
According to police, the quartet set one of the cars on fire to destroy evidence of their crime.
Shops, car dealerships and a government body all reported break-ins and thefts to police.
Officers were able to identify and apprehend the teenagers after an intensive search.
Police said the group stole two cars from one of the dealerships in the area and that two of the youths already had criminal records.
The teenagers confessed to carrying out the thefts and setting one of the cars on fire in the desert, during police interviews.
Col Haran Mubarak urged parents to keep tabs on their children. “We encourage parents to keep an eye on their children, monitor the locations they go to and the people they interact with to minimise bad influences that they may pick up.”
He also said parents should report their children if they are delinquent and cannot be controlled. “We will deal with reported children in complete confidentiality, in a way that will help the family find a solution to the problems,” Col Mubarak said.
The four boys were referred to prosecutors to face charges.
tzriqat@thenationa.ae
