Dubai police have arrested an Asian beggar found in possession of witchcraft talismans that she believed would help her influence individuals to give her money.
Brigadier Ali Salem al-Shamsi, director of the Suspects and Criminal Phenomena Department in the General Department of Criminal Investigation, said that the beggar was apprehended in a residential area with ‘papers, tools, witchcraft talismans, and a magic veil’ in her possession.
Talismans are objects that people believe can ward off evil or grant special powers. The beggar believed that these items would aid her in influencing individuals to give her money, the police said in a statement.
Brig. al-Shamsi said the arrest was facilitated by a community member who reported the individual to the Command and Control Centre of the General Department of Operations.
Brig. al-Shamsi urged community members to refrain from sympathizing with beggars or providing them with money.
He emphasized the importance of not falling victim to beggars’ schemes that aim to manipulate people’s emotions during the holy month of Ramadan, adding that these methods often involve fabricated stories and deceptive tactics commonly employed near mosque entrances, clinics, hospitals, markets, and streets.
The woman’s arrest took place as part of an anti-begging campaign that the Dubai Police launched in collaboration with strategic partners. Begging is a crime in the UAE.
Brig. al-Shamsi urged the community to support the campaign by promptly reporting beggars through the toll-free number 901 or the ‘Police Eye’ service on the Dubai Police smart app. Cyber beggars can be reported through the e-Crime platform (www.ecrime.ae).
