DUBAI: Over 4,000 illegal workers have been arrested by the Dubai government, including laborers, resellers, porters, butchers and car washers. Among their possessions at the time of arrest were some 78,000 pirated “obscene films, carts to sell vegetables, illegal funds to collect donations and alcoholic drinks,” the Dubai Police and Department of Residence and Foreigners Affairs said on Tuesday. According to Obaid Ibrahim Al Marzouqi, Head of Markets Section, “we have a dedicated team working around the clock to catch offenders.” Last year Dubai officials reportedly curbed thousands of illegal activities such as “3004 unlicensed vendors and porters, 536 beggars, 188 butchers, 472 car washers, 16,524 different breaching materials, 56,939 pirated films, 831 obscene films, in addition to 2844 species of vegetables and fruits sold without license outside markets, 1627 bottles of alcoholic drinks, and 35 unlicensed funds to collect donations.” Ibrahim argued that the local government continues to conduct campaigns against illegal workers “to maintain the aesthetic and cultural appearance of the Emirate.” Continuing, he said “it is our main concern to protect the health of consumers and ensure quality of food, through the regular check up of public streets and various areas in the emirate to catch offenders.” The arrests, however, have local activists crying foul, saying the government is cracking down only on those workers not involved in the infrastructure of the city. “We have seen this over and over again. They arrest illegals who stopped working for construction but never does the government crackdown on those who are illegally working on infrastructure practices. It is hypocritical,” Amr Jamal, a independent photographer and activist who has documented illegal workers on construction projects, told Bikyamasr.com. Crackdowns by Dubai police are becoming more frequent and more and more people living in the Emirate are facing arrest and deportation. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/4bCu3 Tags: Arrests, Dubai, Workers Section: Business, Human Rights, Latest News, United Arab Emirates
