Hundreds of beggars and door-to-door salesmen have been arrested in Dubai since Ramadan began as part of police’s annual clampdown on illegal activity.
At least 164 beggars and 78 salesman were arrested under the Combat Begging campaign, which saw increased patrolling across the emirate.
Instances of begging typically increase during Ramadan as people seek to take advantage of the holy month's spirit of giving – and, this year, the coronavirus outbreak – to collect money illegally.
Col Abdullah Salem, from the police's criminal investigations department, said most of those arrested were men.
"Intensifying our patrols resulted in the arrest of a total of 242 individuals.
"The majority of beggars were men making 143 while women made only 21 of the total number."
He called on the public not to encourage beggars by giving them money and to instead report them to police by calling 901 or using the force's mobile app.
"We urge all community members to send their donations to charitable organisations, where they can be assured that their charity will go to good causes and they would not be unknowingly taking part in crimes committed by beggars," he said.
Col Salem said begging was "harmful to the country's image and is associated with theft and the exploitation of children and disabled people."
