236 beggars, 1,872 street vendors nabbed
dubai — In cooperation with the Dubai Police and Ministry of Labour, the Dubai Municipality has nabbed 2,108 beggars and street vendors this year so far.
The sweep against law-breakers has also resulted in the seizure of hundreds of thousands of illegal items, detrimental to public health, said Juma Al Fuqae, Director of Assets Management Department of the Municipality.
He said inspectors managed to prevent 236 people, who made begging a job by entering to the country in the name of tourists.
The team also nabbed 1,872 street vendors who abused the civilised appearance of the city. A total of 23,719 items and 246 counterfeit products were confiscated, in addition to disposing 155 tonnes of food found unfit for human consumption.
Faisal Juma Al Badaiwi, Head of Markets Management Section, said the unit’s campaign seized 155 tonnes of damaged foodstuff taken by offenders to sell to workers in labour camps in Al Quoz or Al Qusais.
“The seized items also included 101kg of paan, 97 unhealthy palm trees, 554 illegal accessories and 162 carts. All these were seized during the 5,942 inspections conducted throughout the year,” said Al Badaiwi..
“The campaign, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and Safety and the Dubai Police Criminal investigation Department, included daily spot checks in response to the information and raids on places where violators were gathering as well as catching the violators and handing them over to the relevant security authorities according to the legal procedures followed.
Moosa Sultan, Head of the Social Violation Control Unit, said a team of eight was assigned round the clock to work in public market areas of Deira and Bur Dubai.
“They also follow-up licensed cobblers in Dubai and organise their affairs according to the municipality rules and regulations. The team also monitors and confiscates charity boxes used for raising money by charity organisations, who are not licensed to engage in such activities within the emirate. Cooperation was sought from the Department of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs for confiscation and the violators were handed over to Awqaf for detailed investigation,” he said.
Sultan said the inspection team also regulates and follows up matters of the social clubs and associations, especially of the expatriate communities engaged in cultural, sports, social, recreational, marine and charitable activities in the Emirate of Dubai. The team submits all their files after the fulfillment of the legal requirements to the Community Development Authority to manage, he said.
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