Dubai: A beggar was caught on the first day of Eid Al Fitr possessing Dh100,000, hidden inside his artificial leg, an official said on Wednesday.
Major-General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs of Dubai Police, said the Asian beggar, in his 60s, was nabbed by a police patrol team in a residential area of Al Quoz.
“First, we found Dh25 with him and later we found Dh45,000 and other currencies hidden inside his artificial leg. The total value was Dh100,000. He had collected this amount during the entire Ramadan month,” Maj-Gen Al Mansouri said.
The Asian came on the first day of Ramadan on a visit visa and had been begging near mosques and residential areas.
“We are taking legal action against him and informed the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs — Dubai to check the company that got the visit visa issued for him.”
Meanwhile, police arrested 243 beggars, including 107 women, during the anti-begging campaign during Ramadan. A total of 195 beggars came on visit visas and 48 had residency visas.
Colonel Ali Salem Al Shamsi, director of the Infiltrators Department at Dubai police, said most of the beggars were Asians and they entered the country on visit visas posing as businessmen. “They had been pretending they had disability or diseases that made them unable to work,” Col Al Shamsi said.
In a separate incident, the police arrested an amputee Asian man, who was standing on the Dubai-Sharjah border in Al Ghusais area.
“He was tricking the police by crossing into Dubai when he saw Sharjah Police patrol and then walked into Sharjah when he saw Dubai Police. He was finally arrested,” Col Al Shamsi added.
Begging is punishable in the UAE with a one-month jail term followed by deportation and confiscation of money.
