A man was arrested after allegedly trying to sell drugs to an undercover Dubai Police officer. Pawan Singh / The National
A man was arrested after allegedly trying to sell drugs to an undercover Dubai Police officer. Pawan Singh / The National
A man was arrested after allegedly trying to sell drugs to an undercover Dubai Police officer. Pawan Singh / The National
A man was arrested after allegedly trying to sell drugs to an undercover Dubai Police officer. Pawan Singh / The National

Thousands of motorists fined in Dubai during National Day holidays


Salam Al Amir
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Dubai Police fined thousands of rule-breaking motorists and impounded dozens of cars during the National Day holidays.

Brig Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, director general of Dubai Police's traffic department, said 3,556 fines were issued to motorists in Bur Dubai and Deira for a raft of offences during the long weekend to mark both Commemoration Day and the UAE's 49th National Day last week.

The senior officer said 128 cars were confiscated during the same period in the two areas.

“The violations included making random car parades, reckless driving, posing danger to road users, racing, and causing disturbance in residential neighbourhoods,” he said.

“In Bur Dubai, officers issued 2,488 fines and confiscated 95 cars, while in Deira 1,068 motorists were fined and 33 car were seized.”

He said the force had stepped up security and increased patrols during the holiday period.

“The aim was to reduce traffic accidents, boost security and ensure the public adhere to all precautionary measures related to the prevention of Covid-19.”

HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED

Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.

Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.

The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.

The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.

A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.