3,220 wanted suspects arrested

DUBAI POLICE ALSO RECOVER PROPERTY WORTH DH2.5B AS MOST OF THOSE ARRESTED WERE FOR FINANCIAL CRIMES

Property worth Dh2.5b recovered from those held for financial crimes |

Dubai Police arrested 3,220 wanted suspects in the first two months of 2018 and recovered Dh2.5 billion in property from them as they were involved in financial crimes, officials said yesterday.

Col Saeed Al Ayali, director of Wanted People Department, said Dubai Police teams specialised in tracking down suspects are deployed across the country.

“There is positive cooperation between the public and police. People provided us with tips that led to many arrests,” Col Al Ayali said.

The department also helped catch 47 people wanted by other countries this year and handed over 18 suspects while the red warrants issued by Dubai Police helped return 14 wanted suspects to the UAE.

Six of the suspects were wanted for murders in their home countries.

Col Al Ayali said there was a 22 per cent increase in the number of wanted people arrested in Dubai in 2017 compared to 2016.

“As many as 16,395 wanted suspects were arrested last year and Dh7 billion recovered from them, compared to 13,398 wanted suspects nabbed in 2016 and Dh5.1 billion recovered. We coordinate with all police stations to organise regular campaigns to catch wanted people in the emirate,” he said.

Dubai Police arrested 241 internationally wanted suspects in 2017 compared to 227 suspects in 2016. “The suspects had Interpol arrest warrants against them for criminal and financial cases. We handed over 68 wanted suspects to their countries last year.”

Col Al Ayali said the most wanted suspect of all who was arrested this year was a Pakistani suspected of killing a medical student in his home country. Mujahid Afridi allegedly shot Asma Rani three times outside her home in Kohat in January. Afridi, 25, killed the third-year medical student in Abbottabad and was arrested in Dubai on March 10 before being handed over to Pakistan with the help of Interpol. He escaped from Pakistan and travelled to several countries before he was arrested in Dubai.

The CID also got the Interpol to issue 202 red corner notices last year compared to 178 warrants in 2016.

In 2017, Dubai Police arrested an Arab national in financial cases involving Dh388 million and another for Dh129 million worth of financial cases.

Electronic record

Dubai Police teams are equipped with an electronic programme that lists the wanted people. Some people were caught on arrival at the airport and some were tracked inside the country with the cooperation of other police departments.

“We refer them to court with their extradition file and the judge issues an order whether to extradite them or not,” Col Al Ayali said.