A woman in a luxury car posing as a beggar was arrested in the UAE capital.
A beggar was arrested in Abu Dhabi who was driving around the city in a luxury car asking for alms. Police said they also seized a large amount of money from the woman.
It is specified that she begged, as a rule, near mosques in different districts of the city, but parked her luxury car at a distance, and after “work”, as it was found out by the patrol that followed her, she reached it on foot.
The imaginary beggar was arrested and prosecuted. Abu Dhabi Police also reported that 159 beggars were arrested between November 6 and December 12, 2022, and asked to report such offenses by calling 999 or 8002626 (AMAN2626).
As you know, unauthorized fundraising for charity is a punishable act in the UAE and carries a fine of up to 300 thousand dirhams (US$ 82,000) and imprisonment.
This includes fundraising through websites and social media. The minimum fine for fundraising without permission is 150,000 dirhams and the maximum is 300,000 dirhams. Other penalties include imprisonment and confiscation of funds collected.
Federal Law No. 3 of 2021 prohibits persons from collecting money from members of the public in any form. It is aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing, which has intensified recently in the UAE.
In April 2022, Dubai police arrested a beggar who was offering passersby a weighing scale for 1 dirham. As the policemen noted, Dubai faced a new type of street fraud – previously “beggars” offered to buy Islamic paraphernalia, such as rosaries and other accessories.
