UAE police arrests street beggar in luxury sedan
UAE police arrested a beggarwoman behind the wheels in a luxury sedan with a large sum of money she later confessed to having collected it in one day of street begging.
Police was tipped off about the woman, who was seen begging in front of mosques in various part of Abu Dhabi, then walked for a while to a luxury sedan of the latest model she had parked afar from the area where she operated. The vehicle’s make and model was not disclosed.
She was arrested and police officers seized a “lot of money she collected from begging,” according to the Khaleej Times. It did not say how much money was nabbed.
“Begging is an uncivilized act in the society and a crime” in the United Arab Emirates, police said in a statement reported by the Khaleej Times.
“The beggars have the potential for fraud and are out to cheat people and cash in on their generosity,” the statement added.
UAE Public Prosecutors, according to the Khaleej Times, explained that the penalty for begging is a jail term of three months, and a fine of not less than Dh5,000 ($1,360), or one of the two penalties.
The penalty for organized begging is six months in jail and a fine of Dh100,000 ($27,000).
According to police statistics, 159 street beggars were arrested in Abu Dhabi between Nov. 6 and Dec. 12.
