DUBAI // A woman who allegedly tried to sell another's baby has been charged with human trafficking offences.
The Asian woman, HS, who it is claimed attempted to sell the two-month-old infant for Dh10,000 (US$2,700), was arrested during a "sting" operation this month, Dubai Police said. She is being held in custody.
NM, the mother of the baby, who was born out of wedlock, had been trying to place it with a foster family, officials said.
NM had given birth at home. The baby was not officially registered, and she wanted to find an Emirati foster family to look after it, according to police records.
She sought help from HS, police said, who convinced her that she could find the right candidate. The mother said she did not know that HS had intended to sell the baby.
HS confirmed this when questioned by officers, police said.
Lt Col Abdul Raheem Mohammed, the head of the Organised Crime Department at Dubai Police, said the department received information about a woman looking for a family interested in purchasing a child.
"Once we received the tip, we immediately assigned a team from the anti-trafficking department, and they sent an undercover female officer to pretend that she was interested in buying the baby," Lt Col Mohammed said.
HS, who police said was working illegally as a maid, was arrested in the sting after she agreed to sell the baby for Dh10,000, according to police records.
NM, who police said had also been working illegally as a maid, is being held on charges of having an illicit affair and is in custody at a detention centre with the child.
The arrests are the latest in a series of human trafficking-related cases across the country.
They follow a report released in May by the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT) that called for a crackdown on human traffickers, better support for victims and greater international co-operation.
"The fight against human trafficking is our fight and a goal we share with all responsible nations," Dr Anwar Gargash, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and chairman of the NCCHT, said in the report.
"We have accomplished a lot in a short span of time, but we will continue to remain committed to consistently improving our efforts to tackle this crime."
Col Mohammed al Mur, the director general of the Dubai Police general department of legal and disciplinary control, which includes the centre for monitoring human trafficking, said the latest arrest was in line with the national strategy drawn up by the NCCHT.
"Since the issuing of the anti-trafficking law [in 2006], both the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice have been trying to train their human resources on how to deal with human trafficking cases and these efforts in this field are continuing," Col al Mur said.
The US State Department placed the UAE in its second-tier list of countries with a poor record on human trafficking, along with 76 other countries including Bahrain, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan and India.
At a meeting yesterday, the US ambassador to the UAE discussed Dubai Police's efforts to tackle human trafficking with officials from the force.
@Email:wissa@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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At Eternity’s Gate
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
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It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
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Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
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Initial investment: Undisclosed
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What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
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Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.