MASSAGE CARD MENACE IS MORE THAN JUST A MORAL PROBLEM
The on-call massage services that are brazenly offered by scores of business cards being dropped daily on cars remain a source of real nuisance to the residents in Dubai.
Despite the inspection campaigns of the law-enforcement bodies on the shady activities among other things, the matter does not look likely to abate.
The rampant and taunting illegal practices that are being seen in areas like International City and Satwa — to name a few — continue to annoy the public with many claiming that “not a day passes without having to take them off the cars or even flat doors”.
Soliciting massage by those cards could well go wrong. Many men fell victims after they were tricked into going for massage dates by such adverts.
They were physically assaulted, robbed and even humiliated after being lured with massage offers.Suspects would usually post adverts about such services and use beautiful women’s pictures as a bait. However, once in the suspects’ flats, the men would be locked up, assaulted, undressed and filmed to be blackmailed for cash or revealing their bank card details.
Individuals, who are caught distributing
massage cards, face penalties, including jail and deportation, Dr Ali Humaid bin Khatim, counsellor, advocate -general and chief of naturalisation and residency prosecution, told Khaleej Times.
The advocate-general added that the Follow-up and Investigation Section of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners’ Affairs, in cooperation with other official departments, carry out regular inspection campaigns and many violators are being caught.
Dr bin Khatim also revealed that the offences committed by those violators are often linked to other crimes.
“These massage card distributors could be in violation of the Labour Law by working for a third party (other than the sponsor) or in breach of the Foreigners’ Entry and Residency Law by working on visit visas. Besides, the cards have obscene pictures and that is another type of offence.”
As to the work and residence-related offences, it is the jurisdiction of the residency prosecution.
For the other immoral offences and the infringement to the public decency, it is the field of the plenary prosecution.
“It is the public prosecution that investigates such criminal cases. The suspects, caught in such violations, face jail terms and will be deported,” the advocate-general affirmed.
He added that the Ministry of Emiratisation and Human Resources, in cooperation with the Follow-up and Investigation Section of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners’ Affairs, carry out regular inspection campaigns and many violators of laws and regulations are being caught.
Every day, we see people inserting the massage cards in the car window’s rubber beading, which by time get damaged.”
An Asian resident