Abu Dhabi: Three Omanis and six Asians were arrested in three cases on suspicion of being involved in the illicit smuggling of individuals into the country.
The Public Prosecution has also revealed that it had so far witnessed 386 similar cases this year.
According to the law on the entry of foreigners, those found guilty of hiring or sheltering an illegal resident are subject to no less than two months in prison and a fine of Dh100,000.
An Indian man was found to have been smuggled in the trunk of a vehicle bring driven from Oman by a man from that country coming through Oud Al Tawbah port in Al Ain. Both the driver and the alleged intruder were arrested and referred to the Public Prosecution which ordered their imprisonment pending trial. A statement from the Judicial Department revealed that the Omani failed to declare that a second person was with him in the vehicle when asked about the number of persons present.
Meanwhile, Al Hili port also witnessed a second Omani who reportedly endangered the lives of others in addition to attempting to illegally bring two Bangladeshis into Al Ain. The Omani is believed to have been paid Dh500 to enter the UAE and smuggle the pair.
Another Omani man was charged with trying to bring three Pakistanis in the trunk of his vehicle, also through Al Hili port. The accused allegedly admitted to being paid Dh400 for each individual he was smuggling into the city. All four men were also imprisoned pending trial.
Meanwhile, an Iranian man was referred to the Public Prosecution for attempting to enter the country illegally by climbing the security fence bordering Oman in a vehicle-lift.
Finally, nine Asians were found guilty of entering the country illegally by the courts of Al Ain after the men admitted to climbing over the security fence and paying individuals Dh2,000 to take them to the closest point near the fence. The defendants were arrested as soon as they landed on UAE soil.
