Vehicle stolen from busy Sharjah street

SHARJAH — Petty crimes, including theft, seems to be on the rise in the emirate of Sharjah, with residents not feeling very safe anymore about their homes, cars, or goods.

By Meraj Rizvi

Published: Wed 12 Apr 2006, 11:22 AM

Last updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 5:50 PM

A theft that took place during the busy hours in the evening yesterday on the Jamal Abdul Nasser Street has forced residents to think why the Sharjah Police is lax in containing such thefts and crimes.

An Arab expatriate, who left the ignition of her four-wheel Hyundai car running after parking it on Jamal Abdul Nasser Street, while she entered one of the shops to pick up some clothes, received the shock of her life when she found her vehicle was missing from its parking place. She said that there were no valuables or cash in the car, but, “I am shocked at the incident.” The matter was immediately reported to the Buheira Police Station who is investigating the theft.

A source from Beena’s Collection said: “The customer, who was in a big rush, had arrived at the shop to collect some clothes ordered for her daughter’s wedding. She had left her car engine running while it was parked on the road. It was only a matter of a few minutes when the customer picked up her bags and left the shop, and as she walked up to the car which was double parked on the road, she found it gone.”

The source ruled out any possibility of a police car towing away the double-parked vehicle. “We did not see any police vehicle on the street. Besides, the police patrol car would have placed a fine slip on the car and not removed the car from the road without the knowledge of its owner.” The incident has raised concern among shop-owners on the busy street who said: “We do not feel secure any more. We have this constant fear that anyone can break into our shops and force us to hand over all the money collected during the day from the sale of goods. The police needs to gear up and increase its patrol even on the busy streets and areas of Sharjah,” said another shop owner on the Jamal Abdul Nasser Street.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, a police official from Al Buhaira Police station said, “We immediately dispatched the patrolling team for searching the vehicle in various parts of the emirate after receiving the complaint about the car theft.” He added that the car theft cases in the emirate are not more than seven a year, out of which six vehicles were recovered. “The police team is making all-out efforts to recover the vehicle,” he said.