Beggars found staying at five-star hotels in UAE

7 Sep, 2008, 1855 hrs IST, IANS

ABU DHABI: Some of the beggars detained during a crackdown on begging in the emirate of Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates (UAE) were found to be staying at five-star hotels, WAM news agency reported Sunday. The Abu Dhabi police have stepped up the campaign against begging since the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. "There are professional beggars who have made Ramadan an investment season," said Colonel Mohammed Saleh Badah, deputy director of the department of public relations and morale guidance at the ministry of interior. He added that some of the detained beggars were found residing in furnished expensive hotel apartments and some were even staying at five-star hotels. Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan has instructed the detained beggars to be referred to social support centres. Badah said that the initial investigations have attributed the increase in begging phenomenon during Ramadan to "wrong belief among beggars that security and governmental control is loose in Ramadan due to compassion and faith, as well as sympathy of people with beggars." Begging is banned in Abu Dhabi.