Dubai Police have arrested 22 people accused of running an organised begging operation that targeted drivers on some of the emirate's busiest roads. According to police, gang members posed as stranded travellers, approaching motorists stopped at traffic lights or caught in congestion and claiming they urgently needed cash to continue a journey.
The investigation began after a tip came in through the Police Eye service on the Dubai Police smart app. Officers first identified a single suspect and tracked his movements before uncovering a coordinated network operating simultaneously across several locations, including Al Khor Street, Ras Al Khor, the area around Bu Kadra Bridge, and the bridge on Dubai-Al Ain Road.
Once the full scale of the network was mapped, police carried out coordinated raids that led to all 22 arrests. Authorities stressed that begging is a criminal offence in the UAE: individuals caught begging can face fines of up to Dh5,000 and up to three months in prison, while those running organised begging operations face harsher penalties, a minimum of six months in jail and fines reaching Dh100,000.
Dubai Police urged residents and visitors to report similar behaviour immediately through the Police Eye app, particularly people approaching cars at junctions or traffic signals asking for money, saying quick public reporting was key to identifying and shutting down this network.