24 beggars, street vendors arrested in Dubai

Dubai - Dh5,000 fine, jail term of up to three months for begging in UAE

A total of 24 people beggars and street vendors were arrested in Dubai by Al Raffa Police, the police said on social media.

Brigadier Ahmed Thani bin Ghalita, Director of Al Raffa Police Station, said the arrests come as part of Dubai Police’s campaign Begging is a Wrong concept of Compassion.

Brig Bin Ghalita said the station joins the campaign's efforts every year to combat begging in the emirate by assigning working teams to operate according to an integrated security plan in cooperation with other departments to intensify patrols in places expected to be frequented by beggars.

He explained the campaign showed evident success in reducing the number of beggars annually.

"There are official and charitable entities and authorities that are ready to help the needy, which we, at Dubai Police, urge whomever in need of financial aids to turn to," he added.

He said begging poses a serious threat to the safety and security of the society. “We take the matter seriously as it ruins the reputation of the emirate and also affects the security as it increases cases of thefts and pickpocketing,” Brig Bin Ghalita said.

According to Federal Law No. 9 of 2018 on Anti-begging, anyone caught begging in the UAE will be fined Dh5,000 and imprisoned for a term of up to three months. Those operating professional gangs of beggars or recruiting people from outside the country to work as beggars face a jail term of not less than six months and a minimum fine of Dh100,000.

The Dubai Police also asked the public to report beggars to the toll-free number 901 or through the Police Eye service via Dubai Police App, and to report cyber-beggars and online suspicious activities on www.ecrime.ae.

• Dubai