Dubai Police have arrested over 380 beggars and 222 street peddlers during last year’s Ramadan, according to a press conference held on Thursday. The authority received 2,235 reports related to begging, with 1,956 reports through the (901) call centre and 279 via the ‘Police Eye’ service. 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 added that the areas where beggars are most frequent during the holy month of Ramadan are usually mosques, markets, residential neighbourhoods, Ramadan tents, and parking lots. Residents have been urged not to sympathise with beggars and not to be deceived by them. They are warned that such illegal acts can lead to other crimes such as burglary and exploitation of vulnerable people.
The annual anti-begging campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of dealing with beggars and encourages people to report them 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.
Dubai Police have also set strict measures and guidelines for tourism companies to ensure compliance in curbing this negative phenomenon. Furthermore, charitable societies have been urged to use official and reliable channels for donations, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, such as donation boxes and verified electronic channels such as smart applications, websites, and text messages.
