Abu Dhabi Police arrested an illegal Bengali pickpocket who steals from clients of a government service entity in Abu Dhabi. The man snoops on people, choosing his victims while they are busy taking care of their procedures, then filches their wallets and belongings in the blink of an eye.
Police members were able to arrest the suspect according to Brigadier Maktoum Al Shareefi, Director of the Capital Police Directorate, who said that the police were able to retain some of the stolen items. Concerned authorities are interrogating the suspect.
“A background check on the suspect, N.A., 34-years-old, revealed that he was deported in 1999 for stealing, pick-pocketing, and other security violations. He was again arrested in 2007 when trying to sneak in by land through one of the Northern Emirates. Again, he made an attempt to pickpocket, but he was arrested in this case,” Al Shareefi said.
He added: “Following procedures, the police arrested him in the lobby of the government entity; he was wearing Pakistani clothes, which is different from his national dress, for the purpose of disguising and misleading people. The police were able to find some stolen items in his possession.”
Regarding the details of the case, Al Shareefi explained: “The suspect was frequently visiting the entity in the morning. He would enter the lobby carrying an envelope containing blank papers to give the impression to employees and people at the entity that he was a client. This particular entity receives many clients everyday as it deals directly with the public.”
The Director of the Capital Police Directorate called on the public to keep an eye on their personal belongings while urging, at the same time, the concerned authorities to immediately inform of any crime that disturbs the public’s security and people’s tranquility regardless of its scale.
For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Rashid Khalaf Al Dhaheri, Director of Shabia Police Station at the Capital Police Directorate, spoke on the details: “The station received nine calls from the public last October saying that their wallets and personal belongings, such as mobile phones, were stolen when they visited a certain Abu Dhabi governmental entity to follow up some transactions.”
He added: “The work team started to prepare a search and investigation plan and further utilized all resources to reach the suspect. At the same time, we contacted this entity where we saw a great cooperation from the employees there. They helped us monitor and detect the pickpocketing suspect. Continuous investigation led to his arrest in October, prior to Eid Al Adha. Interrogations revealed that the suspect was illegally staying in the country.”
“The suspect admitted to all accusations including the violation of the Entry and Residency Law, theft, and pickpocketing. He explained his method of targeting people who paid no mind to their personal belongings; people who would leave their belongings unattended either next to them or on a bench. He also used crowded parts of the place to steal the contents of people’s pockets. The suspect used to carefully watch the clients, move among them, and pick the right moment to commit his crime when the numbers of the crowd increased or when people were busy following up a procedure,” Al Dhaheri continued.
Recently, the Minister of Interior announced a grace period for violators of the Law of Entry and Residency of Foreigners, to leave the country. This period lasts for two months starting from today, December 4, and continues until February 4, 2013. Violators will be exempt from paying fines and penalties if they voluntarily leave the country.