tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69290606855020971152023-12-23T01:49:37.062+03:00CrimeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-44432356145365133832009-03-06T19:02:00.000+03:002009-03-06T19:05:03.779+03:00Fake Currency<div style="text-align: justify;">A visitng Nigerian stood trial on Thursday at the the Criminal Court of First Instance on the charge of possessing fake currency. The 30-year-old defendant has been charged for possession of 32 counterfeit $100 bills on November 2 last year.<br /><br />He pleaded not guilty saying he was not aware the money was fake.<br /><br />The next hearing is slated for April 2.<br /><br />An Indian accountant at an exchange centre in the Naif area said when he was on duty at 9.30am, the defendant approached the counter to change $14,200 into dirhams of which 32 $100 bills were counterfeit.<br /><br />The accountant said that on verification, the notes were found to be fakes and the exchange company immediately called the police.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-73424899397405031852008-06-13T12:37:00.001+03:002008-06-13T12:39:30.844+03:00Baby girl found abandoned in a mosque<div align="justify">A new-born baby girl was found abandoned in the ladies’ wing of a mosque in Ras Al Khaimah on Wednesday evening.<br /><br />Major Aref Al Kaazi, from the Criminal Investigation Department of Ras Al Khaimah Police, said the baby was believed to have been abandoned in the mosque by her parents who left a note in Arabic stating that any good samaritan could take the new-born and look after her. He said a local woman, who had gone to the mosque for the Maghreb prayers on Wednesday, found the baby girl and informed police. The baby was taken to Saqr Hospital where the doctors declared her in good health. The hospital has been instructed to keep samples of the baby’s blood and preserve her DNA while investigations are being carried out to locate the child’s mother.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Major Nasser Soufah, in charge of crime registrations in the CID, said this was not the first time that a baby had been found abandoned. During 2005 and 2006, four infants were found abandoned, but last year no such case took place.<br /><br />/Khaleej Times/<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-3836486159100645752008-06-09T19:17:00.000+03:002008-06-09T19:18:49.311+03:00Abu Dhabi court sentences swindler to one year in jail<div align="justify">The Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance sentenced a money swindler to one year jail in addition to a fine of Dh50, 000.<br /><br />The swindler, identified as M.F.M.B, was found guilty of running an unlicensed “financial investment” service, a project which enabled him to collect money from UAE nationals and expatriates. He regularly paid profits of up to 70 per cent to gain confidence of his victims and lure more investors.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Banned from any commercial activities for two years, the swindler will be deported from the UAE after serving his jail term.<br /><br />An official source at the office of the General Prosecutor’s Chamber has warned against such bogus financial investment companies: “We hope the general public would not be gullible to believe in such schemes.”<br />He said such activities will be met with the full force of the law.<br /><br />/Gulf News/<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-91536381378852591842008-06-09T17:12:00.002+03:002008-06-09T17:15:14.445+03:00Wafi robbery: Man jailed for 10 years<div align="justify">A company owner will spend 10 years in prison after a court found him involved in last year's Dh14.7 million armed robbery at a jewellery store in Wafi City.<br /><br />The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced Serb national N.M., 33, to 10 years in jail after he was named as an accomplice to an unidentified number of fugitives in the raid in April 2007. He will be deported after serving his punishment.<br /><br />Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir said the defendant will pay Dh20,000 in temporary compensation to Graff jewellery store.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the court acquitted N.M.'s compatriot visitor, M.M., 52, for lack of evidence.<br /><br />The judge referred the civil compensation claim, lodged by Graff's legal representative Abdul Moniem Bin Suwaidan to the Dubai Civil Court.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />"Ten years! Ten years!" exclaimed N.M., looking at his family members who attended yesterday's hearing as court guards escorted him out of the dock.<br /><br />"I will definitely appeal the verdict," N.M.'s lawyer Ali Abdullah Al Shamsi told Gulf News.<br /><br />The Public Prosecution's arraignment sheet charged N.M. with aiding and abetting a number of unidentified robbers who stole two cars, drove into the Wafi City at about 10pm and brought down the jewellery shop's glass front by crashing the car into it.<br /><br />The robbers were wearing masks and used toy guns to terrorise shop attendants. They smashed the display cases with iron tools, snatched the contents and fled.<br /><br />Law enforcement officers tracked down the two Serbs and referred them to court.<br /><br />Not linked<br /><br />Meanwhile it is believed that four unidentified suspects are still at large and police are hunting them.<br /><br />According to the verdict, the court was convinced that the accused was aware of the heist as he escorted them to stores on Shaikh Zayed Road and other areas where they bought the tools for the robbery and black abayas which the escapees reportedly used to mask themselves during the heist.<br /><br />M.M. was charged with possessing stolen jewel-lery. The court discharged M.M. because charges against him were uncorroborated.<br /><br />"My client is not linked to the crime or the four main suspects who are still absconding ... My client stopped contacting the fugitives two weeks prior to the crime," Al Shamsi said.<br /><br />He argued that his client was questioned by the police and the Public Prosecution unlawfully because no Serb translator was present.<br /><br />/Gulf News/<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-77191115955665388722008-06-04T19:34:00.001+03:002008-06-04T19:36:38.520+03:00Zayed University launches cyber crime grad programs<div align="justify">Zayed University in the UAE has launched three new graduate programs focused on IT security. The new programs, which are being offered by the College of Information Technology, and its US partner George Washington University, cover information, security, cyber security and high tech crime investigation.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />While the Graduate Certificate in Information Security is focused on more traditional areas of network infrastructure security, the other two courses, the MS in Information Technology with specialization in Cyber Security and the Graduate Certificate in High Technology Crime Investigation are intended to introduce additional professional skills and capabilities in the prevention and detect crimes that are carried out online or that use computers in some way.<br /><br />Dr Leon Jololian, acting dean of College of Information Technology said: "The increase of high technology crime has generated an urgent need for a new type of investigator who can combine the science of information technology and forensic science with the art of investigations and critical thinking. Today, any crime that involves a computer as a part of the crime, as the crime itself or as the storage place for evidence, may be part of an investigation.<br /><br />"This is a critical need for the UAE. and the Gulf region. Graduates of the program will be prepared to work in local, state, national and international organizations in the public and corporate sectors. They will have the skills to investigate a variety of cases that include identity theft, fraud, child exploitation, money laundering and violent crimes," he added.<br /><br />The programs will commence from October this year.<br /><br />ITP.net<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-8268076509868165412008-05-23T07:49:00.000+03:002008-05-23T07:51:57.721+03:00Dubai Police brings the Wafi Jewellery robbery suspect from Germany<div align="justify">After 13 months from the armed robbery of a jewellery shop at Dubai's Wafi Mall, Dubai Police have succeeded in bringing back from Germany, the prime suspect who allegedly led the gang of robberers.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The arrest of Zivato Andrea, of Eastern European origin, was made possible by the cooperation of German Police as per request from Dubai's CID. The man, who used a fictitious name, had fled the country shortly after the incident.<br /><br />The night robbery was carried out in April last year during busy shopping hours. The robberers came in two cars and smashed into the glass panes of the Graff jewellery store. The armed men in black clothes and masks then took control of the store and stole jewellery worth Dh14.7 million. They drove off to the Za'abeel area and abandoned the stolen cars there.<br /><br />Dubai police could arrest of two suspects in the UAE, but the prime suspect was still at large.<br /><br />The investigations by Dubai CID led to Germany, where the suspect was hiding. German Police worked jointly with Dubai Police and the culprit was arrested earlier in June. He was produced before a German court, which ordered to hand over the culprit to UAE authorities.<br /><br />/WAM/<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-73071316673853109072008-05-22T21:10:00.001+03:002008-05-22T21:12:49.437+03:00Court quashes prison term of Emirati<div align="justify">The Dubai Court of Appeals has quashed the one-year jail term awarded by the Criminal Court of First Instance to an Emirati H.H. for illegally possessing medicines without a prescription. The court also reduced the fine from Dh20,000 to Dh3,000. <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />The defence lawyer, Jassem Naqabi, deemed the arrest of the defendant as invalid as he was not caught redhanded.<br /><br />He said that H.H. did not act with criminal intention and pointed out that his client was using the pills as sedatives.<br /><br />H.H. was arrested in the Muraqqabat area in an inebriated condition on January 4 this year.<br /><br />On frisking the suspect, the police officers recovered medicines for which he had no prescription.<br />/Khaleej Times/<br /><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-38714066401329322142008-05-20T05:51:00.000+03:002008-05-20T05:52:29.308+03:00Over 7000 illegal stayers arrested in Dubai over last two months<div align="justify">Some 7,830 illegal stayers were apprehended in Dubai over the last two months, Police sources have revealed.<br /><br />Sources at the Dubai Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said the violators of immigration laws were nabbed during raids launched under operation codenamed the ''Deterrent Ring''.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />He affirmed the crackdown on violators would continue.<br /><br />The aim is to maintain security and prevent crime,''the sources added.<br />/WAM/</div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-86025465640493902952008-05-19T13:37:00.002+03:002008-05-19T13:59:47.618+03:00Combating Human Trafficking United Arab Emirates Annual Report 2007<div align="justify"><strong>Introduction</strong> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a committed and responsible member of the international community and aims to take a lead in the global fight to combat human trafficking. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><strong>The report</strong> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">"Combating Human Trafficking in the United Arab Emirates 2007 has been produced by the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and aims to serve as an information tool about the United Arab Emirates' stand on the human trafficking issue, its efforts to combat it and the obstacles and challenges the UAE has encountered. The country's resolve to fight trafficking at home and abroad in collaboration with international partners remains central to the UAE's anti-trafficking strategy. The aim of the publication is therefore to share the UAE's efforts with our partners and promote dialogue, transparency and knowledge exchange in order to also learn from the experiences of other nations in combating this crime.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The term ''trafficking'' was used as early as the end of the 19th century. Since then, there has been much debate on how to clearly define trafficking and what practices can actually be addressed in both national and international legislation. </span></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">The UAE Federal Law 51 of 2006, the first law of its kind in the region, defines trafficking in Article One as ''recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving persons by means of threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of position, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the person, or, the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation, engaging others in prostitution, servitude, forced labour, enslavement, quasi-slavery practices, or the detachment of organs.''</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"> This definition is closely aligned with the definition outlined in the Palermo Protocol and by other international legislation.<br /><br />As part of its comprehensive national and international strategy to combat trafficking, the UAE has ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000). Furthermore, the Cabinet has also approved the ratification of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol), which is one of the two protocols attached to the Organized Crime Convention.<br /><br />The UAE fully endorses that all measures against trafficking in persons, especially women and children, must be consistent with internationally recognized principles of non-discrimination and that they take into account the respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of victims. The UAE, along with the international community, strongly condemns "all work or services, which is extracted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily" as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO) Forced Convention (No. 29), 1930, and enshrined in the UAE Federal Law 51, as well as the UAE Federal Labour Law.<br /><br />Human trafficking is an issue that affects many countries and the UAE is no exception. It is a fact that several million workers are being subject to various types of abuse and exploitation around the world. The first international report on human trafficking by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) concluded in 2006 that "virtually no country is immune" to this phenomenon. The document identified 127 countries as sources of trafficking victims and 137 countries as destinations, including developed and developing countries.<br /><br />The UAE firmly stands against both the exploitation of human beings for sexual purposes and the exploitation of workers through coercive, illegal and inhumane measures. Aside from the UAE?s commitment to international standards, the freedom of individuals from exploitation or coercion is enshrined in our Islamic heritage and cultural belief system. Trafficking is a problem that transcends national borders. It involves countries of origin, transit and final destination. This means that no country or region acting alone can eradicate this crime. To be truly effective, combating trafficking requires cross-border cooperation with the involvement of governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. Policies can only be effective when the national legislation created to implement them addresses the actualities on the ground.<br /><br />Separate, but inter-related : The UAE believes that the commercial impetus of trafficking in persons must be addressed in any national legislation and policy. Trafficking is a thriving global business that generates billions of dollars a year encouraging the trafficking of nearly a million people across international borders annually. The ILO estimates that it is linked to other organized crimes like human smuggling, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Approximately 80 percent of those trafficked are women and girls, and up to 50 percent are children. The majority of transnational victims are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation and the rest into forced labour.<br /><br />Migration, smuggling and trafficking are separate issues that raise different challenges for policy makers but are often misused or interchangeably used in the international debate on trafficking. The UAE, as a result of its recent economic boom, receives large numbers of temporary contractual workers every year. These workers are admitted into the country contingent on their possession of term-limited employment contracts and, while they do not hold immigrant status, they are nevertheless considered subject to the protection and measures of UAE labour law during their time of residence in the country.<br /><br />Labour migration, increasingly referred to as labour mobility is a movement of workers from their country of origin to a country of destination for the purpose of engaging in gainful employment. When the transfer of workers is effected in accordance with duly established exit and entry controls in the country of origin and destination, respectively, migrant workers typically engage in freely elected employment, When, on the other hand, such transfer is effected outside due process, the migrant worker is typically assisted by smugglers who facilitate illegal entry into a country for a fee and disappear. Faced with the prospects of being penalized by the authorities of the country of destination, the illegal worker becomes vulnerable to exploitative and sometimes involuntary employment.<br /><br />On the other hand, trafficking in persons is fundamentally different as it involves the movement of people for the intended purposes of extracting involuntary or forced labour or otherwise exploiting their work or services. For the majority of trafficked persons it is only once they arrive in the country of destination that they realize that the work they were promised does not exist and they are forced instead to work in jobs or conditions to which they did not consent. The deceit begins from the time they leave their home countries. The importance of partnering with source and transit countries to combat this phenomenon is therefore paramount and central to the UAE?s national strategy.<br /><br />Track Record The UAE believes that human trafficking is a despicable crime and it will continually strive to combat the practice of trafficking in any form. Although a young country, the UAE?s laws on this issue strive to adhere to international standards. The UAE's efforts are not perfect, but they are a work in progress, as is the case in many developed and developing countries globally. The UAE is committed to doing everything in its power to help stop human trafficking wherever it occurs and to aggressively interdict those who are responsible for it under the toughest possible penalties.<br /><br />Perpetrators of human trafficking operate across national borders and significant international collaboration is required to combat this crime. The UAE is fully cooperating with all appropriate international and regional law enforcement officials to apprehend and punish anyone who violates the UAE's human trafficking laws. This cooperation also extends to ensuring the swift prosecution of human traffickers who may attempt to use the UAE as a conduit to violate the anti-trafficking laws of other countries. The UAE, like many other nations, acknowledges that it faces challenges in these efforts to fight human trafficking and that it has much work to do. While the anti-trafficking laws are stringent, the dynamic growth in the Gulf region has created pressure on available human resources to enforce these laws.<br /><br />In parallel to the UAE's tough stand on anyone convicted of trafficking, the UAE is deeply concerned about the victims of this crime and their physical and emotional well-being. We are committed to the development of ongoing nationwide social support programs that protect and care for these victims, humanely, promptly, and justly. Identified victims are also being provided all possible financial and human resources to support, strengthen, and expand initiatives that seek to help them at every level.<br /><br />Since a trafficking conviction is heavily reliant on victim testimony and victims of such a trauma are often too frightened to report the atrocities they have faced, the UAE is trying to facilitate access for any possible victim of trafficking to come forward to the authorities and social support networks in an environment that is secure and comfortable. The UAE endeavors to improve all aspects of this process including providing training for law enforcement officers in victim interviewing and identification.<br /><br /><strong>Four-pillar action plan :</strong> </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">In tackling this global phenomenon, the UAE is proactively implementing a four-pillared action plan to combat human trafficking. Despite societal and cultural sensitivities associated with human trafficking, the issue is increasingly being addressed publicly in the UAE by both the government and media. The UAE is not ashamed to admit that the problem of trafficking afflicts this country as it does many other countries. It would be wrong, however, if immediate action is not taken once the crime is recognized and the UAE is therefore pursuing an active and results-oriented strategy that aims to achieve immediate impact.<br /><br />The new comprehensive action plan rests on the following four pillars: </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">I. Legislation </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">II. Enforcement </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">III. Victim Support </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">IV. Bilateral Agreements and International Partnerships </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"><strong>Pillar I:</strong> </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">Legislation The UAE anti-human trafficking law " Federal Law 51 of November 2006 is the first of its kind in the region. The law takes into account the existing federal laws on entry and residency of foreigners, labour, camel races and criminal procedures, as well as the penal code. It calls for strong punitive measures, including maximum penalties of life imprisonment and covers all forms of human trafficking " not just overt enslavement but also sexual exploitation, child labour, and commerce in human organs. A life sentence is also imposed if the crime is committed through deceit, if it involves the use of force or threat of murder or bodily harm, or if it involves physical or psychological torture.<br /><br />The 16-article law spells stiff penalties against traffickers ranging from one year to life in prison and fines of 100,000 dirhams and one million dirhams (US$ 27,500 and US$ 275,000).<br /><br />Other salient features of Federal Law 51 include: "Article One of the law defines human trafficking as an act of exploitation and coercion " Exploitation is defined to include exploitation for sex, engaging others in prostitution, servitude, forced labour, enslavement, quasi-slavery practices, or detachment of organs " An organized criminal gang is defined as a group of three or more people who collaborate to carry out a premeditated act with the intent of committing a human trafficking crime for the sake of gaining directly or indirectly financial or any other material benefit ? A crime is adjudged to be transnational if it is: o Committed in more than one country o Committed in one country but preparation, planning, direction and supervision were carried out from another country o Committed in one country but the perpetrators were an organized criminal gang involved in criminal activities in several countries o Committed in one country but its repercussions impact another country " </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">Article Two sets an imprisonment term of at least five years for whoever commits a human trafficking crime.</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"> The penalty will be life imprisonment if: </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* The perpetrator has created, organized, run, assumed a leading role in, or solicited others to join, an organized criminal gang </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* The victim is a female, child (under 18 years), or handicapped</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* The crime is committed through deceit, involved the use of force or threat of murder or bodily harm, or involved physical or psychological torture</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* The crime is committed by two or more people, or by an armed person </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* The perpetrator is a member of an organized criminal gang, or has consciously taken part in the activities of that gang </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* The perpetrator is the spouse, a relative, descendent, or guardian of the victim</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* The perpetrator is a public servant or commissioned with a public task </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* The crime is transnational Article Three spells out a penalty of one to five years in prison and/or a fine of 5,000 dirhams to 20,000 dirhams (US$ 1,400 to US$ 5,500) for anyone who was aware of a plan to commit a human trafficking crime, but failed to inform the concerned authorities.</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">The law stipulates various imprisonment and fines for a host of acts, including the use or threatened use of force or offering or promising a gift or advantage to prompt others to give false testimony or withhold information, and possessing, harboring or dispensing articles gained through a human-trafficking crime " Corporate entities will be liable to a fine ranging between 100,000 dirhams and one million dirhams (US$ 27,500 and US$ 275,000) if their representatives, managers, or agents committed a human trafficking crime "</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"> According to Article 12, the Council of Ministers shall set up a National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking In addition to Federal Law 51, the UAE also issued Law No. 39 in 2006 on international judicial cooperation, which includes articles on the extradition of suspected or convicted criminals to judicial authorities to try them or execute the sentences given to them. It also provides for mutual judicial assistance in criminal cases, including human trafficking (Articles 6-37). Such cooperation was recorded in at least seven cases during 2007.<br /><br />Furthermore, the UAE's commitments under international law include becoming a signatory to three of the United Nations Conventions on human rights, including: the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination; the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.<br /><br />UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking : A Cabinet order established the UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking in April 2007 to give teeth to Federal Law 51 and to create a coordinating body for anti-human trafficking efforts at all levels in the seven emirates of the federation. The Committee has held eight meetings since its formation in addition to frequent activities, visits and organized events and workshops. It is headed by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Federal National Council Affairs, Dr. Anwar Gargash. Its members include representatives from the federal ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, as well as from the State Security Authority and the UAE Red Crescent Society. The responsibilities of the Committee include: " Developing the framework by which the new anti-human trafficking law is implemented. The Committee regularly assesses government implementation procedures and assists in the coordination of government ministries and departments tasked with combating human trafficking crimes. This coordinating role is important in a federal system and reflects an increased emphasis throughout the UAE on collaborative efforts by local and federal government authorities to monitor, track and penalize crimes of human trafficking " Studying and revising human trafficking legislation with the aim of bringing the UAE efforts in line with international standards and improving national legislation to address realties on the ground. The committee has been authorized to prepare reports on efforts taken by the UAE to fight human trafficking and to make recommendations to the Cabinet ? Creating resources to increase public awareness of human trafficking issues " Developing victim sensitivity training for the relevant bodies and individuals dealing with victims of trafficking ? Representing the UAE officially in handling international requests, enquiries, and delegations related to human trafficking issues It is expected that the Committee's activities will encourage additionally progressive and aggressive legislative efforts to assure country-wide compliance with international standards and implementation of the laws that are in place.<br /><br />Pillar II: Enforcement The UAE federal government and those of the seven individual emirates have emphasized and focused on an awareness-raising drive for the enforcement of anti-human trafficking laws. According to preliminary reports, at least 10 human trafficking-related cases were registered by the end of 2007 under the clauses of Federal Law 51, which came into effect in November 2006. Notably, there were also convictions in at least five cases during this period, with the convicted receiving jail terms ranging from 3 to 10 years for committing, aiding or abetting human trafficking.<br /><br />With these initial results, the UAE is working harder to gather and deploy the necessary manpower to efficiently increase the number of anti-human trafficking prosecutions. As part of a comprehensive awareness campaign to enhance public and law enforcement knowledge about this crime and explore ways of limiting it, workshops are being conducted by the UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking in cooperation with various law enforcement departments and ministries. These workshops are attended by the relevant departments of naturalization and residency, police and public prosecution.<br /><br />" A workshop on investigating human trafficking crimes was jointly organized by Dubai Police and a British security services firm in March 2007 " Coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 2007, the Committee announced a detailed schedule of law enforcement capacity building exercises. Two workshops were held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai during December in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. One of them, a workshop on human trafficking crimes, was conducted in cooperation with the Johns Hopkins University, United States, to improve legislation in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and discuss joint efforts to combat the crime regionally " In collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, a lecture about the relationship between human trafficking and security was held in January 2008 " A five-day training program on human rights and law enforcement was conducted in January 2008 for law enforcement officers " A training program on prevention and control of human trafficking took place in February 2008, and another on investigation methodology is scheduled to be held later this year " A data collection methodology has been finalized to establish a central database for UAE law enforcement officers " Several Emirati law graduates have been selected to undergo special training courses to gain insight into laws dealing with cyber and organized crimes, terrorist activities, human trafficking and human rights issues The UAE also utilizes its established travel and immigration monitoring system to identify potential human trafficking crimes. </span></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">This system depends on: " Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 and its amendments, which pertain to the entry and residence of foreigners in the country "</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">Procedures taken to control the country's points of entry include: </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* Not granting entry permits to children from some countries if their names are added on their parents' or relatives'' passports because they are susceptible to abuse. The UAE insists on such children having separate passports and separate entry visas to ensure compliance with the regulations and to enable immigration officers to identify the children during entry and also ensure that they return home with their parents and relatives </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* Controlling the re-entry of deported individuals through the Iris Eye Scan technology </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* Limiting large numbers of visit visas to relatives and friends of expatriates residing in the country in order to ensure against possible misuse of such privileges.<br /><br />Tackling demand The UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking is engaged in planning a nation-wide public awareness strategy on the issue of demand in order to foster a partnership with both the public and the media. A number of cases are often brought to the attention of law enforcement agencies through the public and this avenue of partnership will be developed over the next two years. Furthermore, collaboration with foreign embassies and NGOs will aim to highlight the issue in labour-exporting countries in order to prevent trafficking at its source.<br /><br />The UAE seeks to decrease the demand on the sex industry and clamp down on perpetrators of forced or exploitative labour. Article 34 of the UAE Constitution, for example, states that no human being should be enslaved or forced to work against their will. This article has been the foundation of UAE penal law, which takes action against cases related to human exploitation. This intention is also in line with the Palermo Protocol, which is the first binding international instrument that mentions the need to tackle the demand for sexual and other forms of exploitative services. According to Article 9.5 of the protocol, all "States Parties shall adopt or strengthen legislative or other measures, such as educational, social or cultural measures, including bilateral and multilateral cooperation, to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, that leads to trafficking."</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"> In the UAE, police are keeping a vigil on tourist companies which bring women into the country. In fact, there are restrictions and re-checking on the entry into the country of single women less than 30 years old who are more likely to be victims of trafficking. The licenses of companies caught carrying out illegal activities are being cancelled. At least two nightclubs exploiting women were shut down during 2007 and several others are under constant surveillance for any trace of illegal activity. According to data from the Ministry of Interior, the total number of cases of those charged with prostitution in the UAE for 2006 totaled 307, a figure that increased slightly to 398 cases for 2007.<br /><br />The UAE realizes that a proactive policy of improving standards and regulations overall, apart from being important in itself, will also have a positive impact on decreasing the scale of human trafficking and potentially exploitative incidents from occurring. As a result, the government has introduced a series of measures that are beginning to positively impact the country's labour climate. </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">Stricter laws against human trafficking and unskilled worker-friendly regulations, which are crucial to discourage exploitation, are increasingly being put in place. Some of the recent worker-friendly measures include: "As of January 2008, salary payments to unskilled workers in the country are being paid electronically by their respective companies. The Electronic Wage Payment System will put an end to cash payment of salaries. This will ensure that monthly wages are paid to all employees without fail and on time, giving the government real time access to information regarding payments of salaries.<br /><br />Punitive action against companies exploiting workers and abusing their rights is expected to become easier and effective. There are currently 250,000 construction workers benefiting from this system, and many more are likely to be positively impacted by this measure once it is comprehensively implemented.<br /><br />" Improving working and living conditions ? the UAE has prohibited work in open labour sites during the midday hours during summer. For each violation of this provision, companies are fined 30,000 dirhams (US$ 8,000) and banned from receiving additional contracts for three months. Further, no group labour permits (for 25 or more workers) are processed until applicants demonstrate a tangible commitment to adequate housing for workers. Companies must produce evidence that they actually have plans and resources to provide facilities. Several camps housing migrant workers employed in the construction sector '' which were found to fall short of minimum standards in building, health services, waste disposal, pest control, drinking water and other basic facilities " have been closed. The firms that own or run the camps have been given adequate time to provide replacement accommodation that meet international health and safety standards.<br /><br />A new unified contract to regulate the rights and duties of domestic workers was enforced in April 2007. </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">Some of its features are: </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">o Valid for two years </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">o Three copies of contract in Arabic and English, with each party having one and a third with the Residency Department </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* A month's paid leave in two years and medical aid provision o Unit at Residency Department to arbitrate disputes </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* One-way ticket at end of contract / if the contract is ended by the sponsor before its expiry, a ticket and a month's salary shall be paid to the worker. If it is ended by the worker, he or she will be charged for the ticket o Employer to facilitate contact with their families back home/</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* Disputes not settled within two weeks to be referred to courts </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* Worker's legal rights disregarded if he or she absconds </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* Fees charged by recruiting agencies to be checked through coordination with consulates of labour-exporting countries </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">* In case of death of the domestic worker, employer responsible to repatriate the body of the deceased and personal belongings o Heavy fines of up to 50,000 dirhams (US$14,000) for hiring illegal domestic maids.<br /><br />A new labour law to protect domestic workers has been drafted by a taskforce as per a Cabinet decree in October 2007 and will be sent to the relevant government bodies for amendments and revisions before promulgation by the UAE President. Domestic workers are mostly comprised of women and vulnerable to exploitation, which is a key concern of the UAE as part of its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women.<br /><br />Since January 2008, sponsors of housemaids in Dubai who abet maids in carrying out illegal work will be charged with the crime of human trafficking and face 10 years in jail or more. Previously, sponsors who released their housemaids for a fee to carry out jobs illegally were charged with the crime of selling visit/residence visas.<br /><br />Creating flexibility for workers to transfer sponsorships to create job mobility.<br /><br />Setting up of special labour courts for speedy resolution of cases. Together with the labour courts, the government has taken the initiative to establish a representative office located within the courts to act as a liaison point and facilitate the process of solving disputes.<br /><br />Direct government involvement in negotiations to increase salaries of workers in some sectors.<br /><br />The UAE intends to do more as demonstrated in the successful launch of the ?Abu Dhabi Dialogue on Temporary Contractual Labour? in January 2008. The conference brought together ministers from 22 countries, including the 11 nations which supply the flow of migratory labour, and the GCC countries that contract with this labour force. Also present were representatives from international organizations, such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) which co-facilitated the effort with the UAE Ministry of Labour, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and a number of United Nations and regional labour groupings. By inviting representatives from affected countries of origin to face-to-face discussions, delegates were able to assess their "ground realities'' and devise ways to eradicate the problem where it begins. Direct outreach to the workers themselves continues, with training resources to fully apprise them of their rights and means of recourse should they suspect those rights are being violated.<br /><br />Pillar III: Victim support To ensure that these unequivocally resolute legislation and enforcement mechanism have a human face, the UAE?s holistic approach includes significant initiatives that determine how victims are treated by law enforcement officials, as well as expand the help and welfare programs available to them. The programs are designed to be prompt and just. The government firmly believes that those who are sexually exploited must be treated as victims, protected and supported through counseling and rehabilitation programs. At the same time, whoever drove the concerned person into prostitution or coerced labour will be punished according to UAE law.<br /><br />The government has a healthy track record of providing assistance and protection to victims of sexual abuse. The police departments provide shelter for these victims and counseling. The government works with foreign governments and NGOs when cases are brought to its attention. Victims have been given protection and shelter while their paperwork is processed, and are then repatriated at the government?s expense under the ?Crime Victim Assistance Program.? Aside from government-headed initiatives, charitable and social networks are also active in the UAE. Some of the significant measures in this regard are: ? Foundation for the Protection of Women and Children: This independent civil society institution in Dubai was established in 2007. The shelter is the first step towards institutionalizing victim support in line with international standards. The shelter is governed by an independent board and has linked up with other shelters in the EU for introducing best standards in shelter management and administration. The foundation plays a vital role in improving social services for victims by providing a refuge to overcome the psychological and physical effects of violence, oppression and neglect. The foundation has an in-house school, which can accommodate up to 300 students; lawns surrounding the complex, where children can play; indoor playroom; a well-equipped gymnasium, as well as football, basketball and volleyball facilities for adults; and an in-house restaurant. In about 10 months since the foundation was established, 115 women and children received assistance after being designated as victims of a number of crimes including human trafficking, domestic violence, family neglect, employer abuse and other social problems. Of these, 28 are suspected victims of trafficking ? 24 have been identified as adults and four have been identified as minors less than 18 years of age. In 2007, the foundation successfully rehabilitated and repatriated three victims with the coordination of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Uzbekistan. By March 2008, three more cases were successfully dealt with and repatriated with the assistance of various authorities and international partners. The foundation is currently sheltering 14 suspected trafficking victims from a variety of countries including Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria.<br /><br /><strong>Social Support Center, Abu Dhabi:</strong> Operated by the Abu Dhabi Police, this center assists victims of all crimes, including human trafficking. It provides victims - especially women, children and their families ; psychological and social support in coordination with other foundations and organizations. </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">The Center assisted with 2605 cases during 2007 ' up from 1519 the previous year. The majority of victims were involved in family disputes and domestic violence cases.<br /><br /><strong>Human Rights Care Department, Dubai:</strong> Providing social, legal and psychological support to the victims of human trafficking is a key mandate of the Human Rights Care Department, which was established by Dubai Police in 2007 as an extension of a program established in 2003. The investigation, legal assistance and preventive support divisions fulfill the mandate of the department. During 2007, 27 of the 36 people who were identified as human trafficking victims were assisted by this department with a variety of services, including provision of temporary shelter, temporary visas and plane tickets to return home.<br /><br /><strong>Abu Dhabi Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking:</strong> The government has supported the establishment of a new shelter in the capital city of Abu Dhabi in January 2008. The shelter will be established in accordance with international standards and best practices. An executing committee, headed by the UAE Red Crescent Authority has been set up to oversee the establishment of the shelter in collaboration with the UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking. The shelter will aim to provide rehabilitation and protection for women and children victims of trafficking through a complete social care program that provides assistance in medical treatment, psychological care and counselling, access to legal services, temporary secure accommodation, some basic education and training as well as safe repatriation by aid of a partner women?s shelter in the victim's home country. The shelter is in line with Abu Dhabi's 2007-2008 Policy Agenda, which identifies the key goals and government initiatives for achieving a secure and stable society, including eliminating "completely any and all kinds of exploitative or coercive labour practices, with particular focus on the protection of women and minors, as well as the complete eradication of any form of trafficking in persons." </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"><strong>Country-wide shelters program:</strong> The UAE Red Crescent Authority will supervise efforts to set up shelters across the country for women and children, who are victims of human trafficking using the Abu Dhabi model as a prototype. The comprehensive homes will provide them a haven with healthcare, as well as psychological and social support. The National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking aims to learn from the case profiles in the shelter in order to further improve and enhance the UAE?s policies and legislation.<br /><br /><strong>Support for former child jockeys:</strong> The UAE's most high-profile effort to address human trafficking occurred a few years ago in response to recruitment practices taking place in the traditional sport of camel racing. Unfortunately, this sport became associated with child exploitation, and once aware of this, the UAE government immediately stepped in to regulate the sport and requested technical expertise from UNICEF to help protect and rehabilitate child victims. During the period beginning in May 2005, the UAE and the UNICEF intensified their efforts to eradicate this problem. This resulted in a multinational progress review in September 2006, where all 1,077 child camel jockeys were successfully and safely returned to their home countries in Asia and Africa. Child protection experts and government representatives from the UAE, Bangladesh, Mauritania, Pakistan and Sudan, as well as UNICEF officials participated in the review process and evaluated both results and gaps to support and reintegrate children involved in camel racing. </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">A rehabilitation centre for young former camel jockeys was established in Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in the world and provided shelter and rehabilitation programs. The repatriation and rehabilitation program included establishment of transit centers providing medical assistance and other services to affected children, a family tracing system, social care of children, educational campaigns and establishment of community care committees.<br /><br />The repatriation and rehabilitation program was then estimated at 10 million dirhams (US$ 2.75 million), funded entirely by the UAE. It was managed by the UAE authorities in association with the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International in Pakistan and UNICEF.<br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">One year after the rehabilitation program began, several cooperation initiatives were acknowledged in a review meeting in September 2006, including: </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">1) Awareness campaigns with camel owners in the UAE </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">2) Establishment of transit centers providing medical assistance and other services to affected children in Sudan </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">3) Family tracing system verified by justice authorities in Mauritania </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">4) Social care of children and back-to-school campaigns in Pakistan </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">5) Establishment of community care committees in Bangladesh </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">6) Maintaining follow-up mechanisms empowering NGOs and local institutions to oversee the payment of outstanding salaries to child beneficiaries o While efforts are underway to strengthen comprehensive reintegration procedures, the UAE and UNICEF agreed in April 2007 to establish a second and expanded phase of their program, which will now continue until May 2009. </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">As a follow-up measure, the UAE has committed 29 million dirhams (US$ eight million), which will help in country-based interventions to tackle trafficking by focusing on the establishment of monitoring mechanisms that would prevent children formerly involved in camel racing from re-entering hazardous or exploitative labour.<br /><br />Claims facilities in Pakistan, Sudan, Mauritania and Bangladesh have been established to provide further compensation to former jockeys in addition to the compensation previously given.<br /><br /><strong>Pillar IV:</strong> Bilateral and International Cooperation Human trafficking in the UAE has its point of origin in the home countries of guest workers. Recognizing the need to coordinate anti-human trafficking efforts with labour-exporting countries, the UAE has signed agreements with several labour-exporting countries ? including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Thailand and Philippines ? during the last two years to regulate the flow of the labour workforce. In order to deny unscrupulous private recruitment agencies from cheating and trafficking workers, all labour contract transactions will be processed by labour ministries or offices in the supplying countries.<br /><br />Further, cooperation with the Philippines and India, for example, has resulted in these two countries announcing their refusal to grant emigration clearance to women below 25 and 30 years of age respectively who wish to work in the region in order to protect younger women from possible abuse. A wage standard has been introduced by some of these countries including Philippines, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. Other bilateral and international agreements include: Collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to help recreate the UAE police administration into a "centre of excellence" for region-wide information distribution and law enforcement, which will greatly benefit human trafficking issues.<br /><br />Promoting partnerships with non-government organizations and institutes to exchange knowledge and expertise in the field of human trafficking. The UAE aims to increase the number of such cooperation agreements as part of an effective anti-human trafficking strategy. At present, the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking is engaged in promoting a strategy of forging links at the government to government level and ensuring that these links cascade down to the government department level, organizations and even individual networks and links. The NGOs and social support organizations are being actively encouraged to collaborate and partner with similar organizations around the world. The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, for example, is closely coordinating with the IOM offices in different countries for the repatriation of victims. </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">The Abu Dhabi Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking, although in its nascent stages, is planning regular visits and exchanges with a number of shelters and trafficking experts around the world in order to introduce international benchmarks in the operational management of the shelter. The police authorities and human rights divisions within those authorities are building solid partnerships with other law enforcement agencies from a variety of countries in order to acquire expertise and in-country capacity to help bring traffickers to justice.<br /><br />UN.GIFT (United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Trafficking) As part of the UAE's commitment to tackle this crime globally and take a lead in this fight, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, committed 55 million dirhams (US$ 15 million) to support the UN.GIFT, which is coordinated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. This included sponsoring the United Nations Conference on Trafficking in Persons in Vienna in February 2008, in which the UAE participated proactively, both to disseminate information about its experience and learn from the experts of other participating countries from around the world in terms of data gathering capabilities and investigative techniques. </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">The Crown Prince's donation was made out of the belief that the creation of a forum for other countries, multiple UN agencies, intergovernmental entities and the non-governmental sector, all working together under a single banner would lead to unprecedented cooperation by the international community. </span></div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span class="fullpost">The Vienna Forum on human trafficking was the first global forum of its kind to be held on such an international scale. Bringing together over 130 countries and 1,600 experts and NGOs working on this issue, the conference was hailed as a great success by the steering committee of the UN.GIFT, as well as many of the delegates who attended the forum. The UAE continues to hold a seat on the steering committee and will proactively support the committee to ensure that the momentum created by the Vienna forum is followed with further actions and their implementation.<br /><br />Conclusion The UAE is acting on every front: Legislation, Enforcement, Victim Support, Bilateral agreements and International Cooperation. It will continue to demonstrate resolve, and acknowledge where it stills need to improve. Simultaneously, the UAE will continue to cooperate with all appropriate regional and international law enforcement officials to apprehend, prosecute and punish those violating the UAE?s human trafficking law and those attempting to use the country as a channel to violate anti-trafficking laws of other countries.<br /><br />The UAE has achieved much in a short period of time, but realizes that much more needs to be done to combat the challenge. The country is committed to serving as an active member of the international community, as well as a model for change in the region and takes these responsibilities seriously. The UAE will continue to acknowledge its shortcomings and demonstrate resolve by vigorously improving its four-pillared action plan. At the same time, we will continue to welcome direct discussion and collaboration with other governments, public or private sector groups, or international organizations that will help stem the tide of human trafficking.<br />/WAM/<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-27920914968757683042008-05-13T05:50:00.000+03:002008-05-13T05:51:44.674+03:00Dubai Police foils attempt to smuggle 24 KG of heroin<div align="justify">Dubai Police said today it had foiled an attempt to traffic 24 kilograms of heroin, valued at 6 million dollars and arrested three Asians and four Africans.<br /><br />Colonel Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police said in a press conference today that the two groups tried to smuggle the pure heroin hidden in boxes containing oranges.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />He revealed that the Police received information a month ago about two gangs involved in smuggling heroin into the country. Following thorough investigations, it was confirmed that the gang members were using containers coming from Pakistan to traffic heroin. They were arrested while unloading heroin at Al Aweer Vegetable Market.<br />/WAM/<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-66487090960592506762008-05-10T07:50:00.001+03:002008-05-10T07:52:20.411+03:00<div style="text-align: justify;">The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance has sentenced eight Chinese women, all visitors, to six months in jail each, for indulging in flesh trade.<br /><br />All the defendants will be deported after serving their sentences, the court ordered.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The Chinese women were charged with running a prostitution ring from an apartment in Raffa area. They were apprehended by the police on December 1 last year following a raid on the apartment. They were indulging in flesh trade under the cover of offering massage services.<br /><br />In the raid, the police recovered condoms and pornographic CDs among other items from the apartment. </span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-78598336295871943912008-04-28T20:45:00.001+03:002008-04-28T20:47:01.763+03:00Resident fined AED 1.5 mn for harbouring infiltrators<div align="justify">The Bani Yas Court of First Instance has fined a Yemeni resident AED 1.5 million and sentenced him to two months in prison for harbouring 15 infiltrators whom he helped to enter the country and stay illegally.<br /><br />The court also sentenced the first suspect and the 15 infiltrators to two months each in prison, and deportation after serving their jail terms.<br /><br />The fine was tipped as the highest of its kind in the history of the primary courts in regard to cases dealing with federal law foe entry and residency of foreigners since the end of the grace period granted by the government to illegal stayers to correct their status on 3 November 2007.<br /><span class="fullpost">The suspect was arrested during a crackdown conducted by the Violators' Follow up Unit on Bani Yas.<br /><br />Court records indicated that the Yemeni suspect, who himself sneaked into the country, has facilitated the entry of 15 Yemenis through Oman and aided them to stay and work illegally.<br /><br />He charged each of them AED 200 for accommodation in a room at Bani Yas. WAM<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-54638004698339139182008-04-27T21:18:00.001+03:002008-04-27T21:21:04.375+03:00Mall workers return Dh2.1m found in food court to owner<div align="justify">They were people in need of money, but when they found Dh2,100,000 in the food court of the shopping centre they worked for, they never thought twice before handing it over to the police.<br /><br />Twenty-one-year-old Reddolla Das and 24-year-old Hamid Raza Abbasi have been working with Ajman City Centre for 11 and four months respectively, but they never had a day quite like April 16.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Reddolla came across a bag while cleaning tables at the mall’s food court. Without a second thought, he handed it over to Hamid, the security guard on duty, who then opened the bag and discovered the money: Dh400,000 in cash and Dh1,700,000 worth of blank cheques.<br /><br />Hamid, as advised by the mall management, passed the bag on to the police who returned it to its relieved owner, a Pakistani national.<br /><br />"We are all incredibly proud and grateful for Reddolla and Hamid’s honesty and humility," said Jassim Al Khaja, General Manager, Ajman City Centre. "We at Ajman City Centre endeavour to return every lost item found on our premises. The amount discovered is huge and some people might have been tempted by this."<br /><br />Redolla and Hamid’s sincere act was recognised by the Ajman City Centre management, which rewarded them each with Dh1,500 in CityCash vouchers. <a href="http://www.gulfnews.com/"><strong><em><span style="color:#666666;">Source</span></em></strong></a><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-47681186341578724992008-04-24T10:52:00.001+03:002008-04-24T10:54:02.853+03:00New system to track illegals at airport<div align="justify">The Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) has installed a new system at the Dubai International Airport (DIA) to record and store data of people who have been deported for various reasons.<br /><br />The system will help the immigration authorities to prevent the re-entry of such people.<br /><br />The move is part of the best global technological practices and standards in the field of passport control to manage the entry procedures effectively.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />This system enhances the safety and the security of the UAE as it facilitates the process of identifying people whose entry into the UAE has been banned.<br /><br />Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Department and Chairman of Emirates, has hailed the efforts of the DNRD employees in protecting the country from illegals and contributing to the safety and security of the UAE.<br /><br />Shaikh Ahmed attended a ceremony organised by DNRD at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel yesterday to honour the 125 DNRD passport control officers at the Dubai International Airport who seized 619 counterfeit passports and uncovered impostors during the second half of 2007.<br /><br />The ceremony was attended by DNRD Director Major-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, DNRD Deputy Director Brigadier-General Obeid Mehayer bin Suroor, DNRD Director of Airports and Land Border Points Colonel Salah bin Suloom and other senior officials. <a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/"><strong><em><span style="color:#999999;">Source</span></em></strong></a><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-45267799785490288632008-04-23T11:40:00.001+03:002008-04-23T11:44:47.717+03:0073 child camel jockeys to get compensation<div align="justify">The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Interior Ministry has approved claims by 73 repatriated child camel jockeys for a compensation of $1,000 each, Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) official Nabeel Malik told Daily Times on Tuesday.<br /><br />The repatriated camel jockeys are provided the compensation for rehabilitation under the Child formerly Involved in Camel Racing (CIRC), a project of the CPWB. Malik said that 79 claims were referred to the board by the CPWB, of which 73 were approved. “The CIRC board consists of Mehmood Ahmad from the UAE Interior Ministry, CPWB Chairman Faiza Asghar and Federal Investigation Agency Deputy Director Azhar Mehmood,” he said.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />He said that people around the country were asked through announcements in the media to register the repatriated camel jockeys with the CPWB so that they could be compensated and their rehabilitation could be made possible. He said that in the first meeting the board passed the cases of 48 children and it was the second meeting of the board. He said that the six remaining cases were rejected on the basis of lack of documentation. “The jockeys are required to produce evidence that they had been involved in camel racing either through a passport, visa documents or ticket. But if they fail to do so, their compensation claim is not entertained,” he said.<br /><br />Nabeel said that in May 2005, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UAE government had signed an agreement to help return and re-unite the underage camel racers in their home countries. “Because the majority of the camel jockeys is from the Punjab, the Pakistani government has assigned the responsibility to the CPWB to handle the issue,” he said.<br /><br />He said that the board meeting, which was held on December 16, 2007, had decided to extend the programme to 2009; earlier the programme was to last till 2007. “The UAE government deposits the $1,000 rehabilitation fund in the Trust Account, in the Punjab Bank with an interest of Rs 600 a month. The money is given to the parents of the children on the condition that the children will be sent to school regularly,” he said. <a href="http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/"><strong><em><span style="color:#666666;">Source</span> </em></strong></a><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-44376731758473866042008-04-20T17:48:00.001+03:002008-04-20T17:52:09.183+03:00Court interpreters in UAE sharpen their skills<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBC-JkYJM3lgnJqX9lc69yrDH8Em2e1A8B54pulRVfDBa5bo-xcVNBJUkQQXFuvaFk6G-ajGhKRdcR_LTkL5st3t93z6KMnj3vJ_84DHwkeFpzocpE8zAEWC73mni9AK8ep2NYgiv2RBD/s1600-h/IMG_1885_compressed.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191340332920238162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBC-JkYJM3lgnJqX9lc69yrDH8Em2e1A8B54pulRVfDBa5bo-xcVNBJUkQQXFuvaFk6G-ajGhKRdcR_LTkL5st3t93z6KMnj3vJ_84DHwkeFpzocpE8zAEWC73mni9AK8ep2NYgiv2RBD/s200/IMG_1885_compressed.JPG" border="0" /></a>In an effort to speed up disposal of cases and sharpen the skills of court translators, the Ministry of Justice conducted on Saturday, an intensive training programme for all interpreters working at various courts across the country.<br /><br />This is the first time in a few years the interpreters in federal courts get an in-service training in one of the most important areas of judicial process.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />'In a country where more than 175 different nationalities live together, there may arise various types of disputes, both civil and criminal. The courts are not able to hand out judgments in these cases without listening to the parties involved, and this makes the role of court translators crucial', said the chief trainer Dr. Kamil Bashir.<br /><br />He asked the interpreters to be extremely careful and honest when relating to the judge, the statements of the parties in a dispute, as they are not able to express their reasoning convincingly in Arabic.<br /><br />'To avoid errors in interpretation, you have to earn the skill of understanding their distinctive national and traditional ways of communication. This may sometimes necessitate to understand their body language and read their non-verbal messages', said Dr. Bashir, who holds a doctorate in English language from Britain's prestigious Exeter University.<br /><br />He reminded them of the vast ethical accountability in their sensitive profession, as a mistake in translation can tamper with the evidence, and thus make the justice be lost.<br /><br />'You have to find yourself in the shoes of a judge when participating in the process of courtroom trials', said Dr. Bashir Senior legal Trainer at the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies, Counsellor Ahmed Suleiman portrayed the magnitude of the accountability of a court translator saying that he is part of a mechanism administering justice.<br /><br />'You are walking on a narrow road, on each side of which, rest heaven and hell', he reminded.<br /><br />The training programme was organized by the Judicial Inspection Directorate at the Ministry of Justice in association with the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies based at the University City in Sharjah.<br /><br />In a circular sent to various federal courts in the UAE, Director of the Judicial Inspection Department Humaid Musabbah Al Muhairi made it clear that the court interpreters should be given adequate training in legal phraseology to avoid mistakes in interpretation.<br /><br />In view of the vast economic renaissance being witnessed by the country, and the increasing need for court interpreters, the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies has planned periodic training for the interpreters as part of the strategy for the human development. WAM<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-67745326656512910132008-04-10T21:48:00.001+03:002008-04-10T21:51:34.567+03:00Stiff penalties to combat crime<div align="justify">Ten human trafficking cases have been reported in the UAE, five of them are cases in which verdicts have been issued, while others are still with the judicial authorities, a senior official said.<br /><br />Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Dubai Police's Deputy Commandant General, said eight of the cases were in Dubai. He said there are no Emiratis or Arabs involved in those cases. He pointed out that the number of cases is not a phenomenon at all compared to other countries where such crimes are common.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Major General Al Mazeina was speaking during a seminar organised at Dubai Police's Officers Club on the law of human trafficking.<br /><br />Major General Al Mazeina pointed out that the intense efforts which the authorities in the UAE are putting into combating this kind of crime, have resulted in a decline in human trafficking cases in the country.<br /><br />Legislation<br /><br />He said the country has lately issued a number of legislations and laws, which contribute noticeably to reducing a number of crimes such as, money laundering and human trafficking. He said there is currently a draft law being prepared regarding weapons, explosives and firecrackers.<br /><br />He stressed that the country is serious about firmly facing such crimes through laws and legislations and combating procedures.<br /><br />He pointed out that laws such as money laundering legislation, has contributed in reducing the international classification of the country as a non-cooperative country.<br /><br />Major General Al Mazeina denied that the policy of openness followed by the country is one of the reasons behind human trafficking crimes in light of countries exporting this crime. He said the legislation in the country has created a kind of specialisation in such crimes, which in turn have resulted in stiff punishments.<br /><br />Major General Al Mazeina called on activating the efforts of executive and social parties to combat this crime and stiffen the procedures of combating the crime.<br /><br />He also called on not mixing between human trafficking cases and labour cases, which result out of demands to revise salaries. He said labour cases should be dealt with according to labour laws.<br /><br />Mohammad Saqr Al Za'abi, Chairman of Jurists Association, who gave the lecture, said the UAE is free of organised human trafficking crimes. He said a few cases are committed by individuals.<br /><br />Violations<br /><br />Al Za'abi said the UAE is the first Arab country to issue a law on combating human trafficking.<br /><br />He said Islam had tackled this issue with a divine legislation when humanity was swamped by human rights violations.<br /><br />Al Za'abi also gave some comments on the law, since he said that it comes without specification, which creates confusion when categorising or investigating the crime. He said there is a general lack of legislation that serves such crimes due to their international nature.<br /><br />He called for the presence of a clear system for people coming into the country, which explains values, religion and traditions of the country to reduce such a phenomenon.<br /><br />Al Za'abi also highlighted a number of issues related to federal law number 51 for the year 2006 regarding combating human trafficking. <a href="http://www.gulfnews.com/"><strong><em><span style="color:#999999;">Source<br /></span></em></strong></a></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-67440275711985993562008-04-10T21:43:00.001+03:002008-04-10T21:45:38.641+03:00Dubai Police arrest couple for stealing diamond ring worth Dh500,000<div align="justify">Police arrested a couple for stealing a diamond ring worth half-a-million dirhams from a shop in Madinat Jumeirah.<br /><br />According to Dubai Police, the couple arrived at the jewellery shop and started looking around. After a while, they decided on a diamond ring costing Dh500,000. <span class="fullpost"><br />They returned the jewellery box back to the salesman and the male customer said he would get the money from his sister. Sometime after the man went out to get the money, the woman too disappeared. When the couple failed to return after sometime, the salesman decided to keep the jewellery box back in the shelf.<br /><br />But the salesman was shocked to find the box empty and the diamond ring missing.<br /><br />The shopkeeper immediately alerted the police. The two were arrested 24 hours after the theft. The suspects have been referred to the Public Prosecution. <a href="http://www.gulfnews.com/"><strong><em><span style="color:#999999;">Source<br /></span></em></strong></a></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-14462157581204486292008-04-09T14:30:00.001+03:002008-04-09T14:33:59.766+03:00UAE to use satellites to crack down on crimes<div align="justify">A combination of unmanned aircraft and satellites could be used in the UAE soon for civilian purposes to track down criminals and criminal activities, a senior official of Ministry of Defence said yesterday.<br /><br />While announcing the hosting of the region’s first Defence Geospatial Intelligence Conference in Dubai from April 27 to 29, Colonel Adel Ahmed Sultan of Defence Ministry, said satellite technologies will be soon used to crack down on crimes in the country.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Commenting on the geographical information available on the Internet, Col. Adel said that it does not pose any security threat as the information is not complete. “I believe that nobody can raise any security threat with the information available on the Internet as it is not 100 per cent accurate information,” he said.<br /><br />Defence Geospatial Intelligence Conference will be held under the patronage of Ministry of Defence and organised by International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC).<br /><br />Hugh James, Divisional Director of Defence IQ, IQPC Middle East, said, “The three-day Geospatial Intelligence Middle East forum will give military personnel an opportunity to meet key decision-makers and exchange knowledge of best practices and expertise.”<br /><br />The summit will straddle the military-civilian divide to drive forward regional geospatial development. With exclusive case studies from some of the global leaders in intelligence exploitation, this event will tackle the inter-operability and integration head-on.<br /><br />“The conference will deliver critical information to senior decision-makers in the defence, aerospace and technology sectors, tackling issues relating to the latest defence plans, requirements, programmes and technologies and how they affect the industry,” said James.<br /><br />“Within the GCC countries, the use of geographic information is increasingly valuable in the defence sector as well as in civilian sphere in terms of regional development and ensuring national security. As the threat to national security increases, asymmetrical partnership between military, security and civilian organisations has become critical,” said James. <a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/"><strong><em><span style="color:#999999;">Source</span></em></strong></a><span style="color:#999999;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-60205983528267552572008-04-08T13:33:00.000+03:002008-04-08T13:34:26.685+03:00UAE and UK discuss criminal security cooperation<div align="justify">The UAE Interior Ministry and UK Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) explored on Tuesday mechanisms for boosting the already existing bilateral cooperation on criminal security.<br /><span class="fullpost">The talks were held between Brigadier Abdullah Al Bedaiwi, Deputy Director of the Ministry's Criminal Security Department and the visiting SOCA delegation. WAM<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-38200289749597449552008-04-08T07:01:00.001+03:002008-04-08T07:05:24.279+03:00Divorced man ordered to pay child allowance<div align="justify">The Federal Supreme Court has ordered a divorced man to pay Dh1,500 to his ex-wife as child support allowance every month.<br /><br />The woman had earlier filed for self-divorce in the Al Ain Shariah Court of First Instance demanding the estranged husband to provide a monthly child allowance of Dh4,500.<br /><br />In her lawsuit, the woman said she had been bringing up the children on her own at first because it was she who had demanded divorce.<br /><br />However, she was no longer able to meet the expenses of the children and that she had not officially assigned her uncle to finalise the self-divorce agreement with her former husband.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The Shariah Court as well as the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal rejected the demand. She then approached the Supreme Court, which accepted her plea and referred the case back to the Court of Appeal.<br /><br />Once again, the Court of Appeal ruled the divorce null and void as it took place through a non-designated representative of the wife. It also asked the woman to get back to her husband. The woman filed an appeal at the Supreme Court for the second time.<br /><br />Her lawyer argued that the verdict declaring her divorce null and void is illegal as the Shariah laws stipulate that the couple in such cases must remain divorced even if the self-divorce procedures are not conducted in the legal manner.<br />The Supreme Court agreed with the argument and said that the self-divorce is final and the husband must pay a monthly child allowance of Dh1,500. <a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/"><strong><em><span style="color:#666666;">Source<br /></span></em></strong></a></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-69715467761709025832008-04-06T15:36:00.000+03:002008-04-06T15:37:57.472+03:0025 jail wardens plead not guilty to assault of prisoners<div align="justify">Twenty-five jail wardens, including a former prison director and three lieutenants, on Sunday pleaded not guilty to abusing their authority and assaulting prisoners.<br /><br />The Public Prosecution charged them with assault, which led to the permanent disability of an Armenian prisoner, abusing authority to beat prisoners and instigating jail wardens to beat prisoners. <a href="http://www.gulfnews.com/"><strong><em><span style="color:#999999;">Source<br /></span></em></strong></a><span class="fullpost"><br /><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-79645500348314575442008-04-01T19:08:00.000+03:002008-04-01T19:09:26.801+03:00Man gets one-year jail for stealing car<div align="justify">The Court of Misdemeanour recently sentenced a 23-year-old Sudanese, W.Y., to one year in jail followed by deportation for stealing a car.<br /><br />As per the court records, W.Y. stole a Honda car belonging to M.M. which was parked near the residence of the latter in Al Satwa area on February 2 this year.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />During the trial, W.Y. denied stealing the car saying that an Indian national had brought the vehicle to him for repairing.<br /><br />Police officer M.S. testified that W.Y. had admitted during interrogation that he took advantage of the fact that the car engine was running and stole it.<br /><br />'He drove it in Dubai and Ajman. Later it got stuck in a hole in Maliha area in Sharjah after the gear lever broke,' the officer said.<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-57652670524677313642008-04-01T19:01:00.001+03:002008-04-01T19:03:24.111+03:00Final verdict on French boy’s sodomy case<div align="justify">The Dubai Court of Cassation is expected to give its verdict on April 7 in the French boy’s sodomy case that attracted media attention not only in the UAE but also in the West.<br /><br />The court hearing took place on April 1 in the presence of all the five judges, who will issue the final verdict.<br /><br />The Court of Cassation has been studying the verdicts of the lower courts which handed out 15-year jail terms to each of the two men found guilty of kidnapping and sexually assaulting the French boy.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The Dubai Court of Appeals had upheld the 15-year jail sentence awarded to the two by the Court of First Instance.<br /><br />The three defendants in the case are A.K., 35, who is suffering from AIDS, I.M.,18, and I.S., 17, who was referred to the Juveniles Court.<br /><br />The case dates back to July 14 of last year when the French boy, identified as A.R., and his friend F.K. were offered a ride by a local teenager. The latter called two other friends and drove to a desolate stretch in the desert and took turns in sodomising him. F.K., however, was kept away from the vehicle.<br /><br />The appellate court had also upheld the referral of the victim’s Dh15-million compensation claim to the Civil Court.<br />According to the judicial procedure, the Court of Cassation can either uphold the verdicts of the lower courts or revert the case to the appellate court for a fresh trial. <a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/"><strong><em><span style="color:#666666;">Source </span></em></strong></a><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929060685502097115.post-47148936146096881712008-03-27T12:56:00.002+03:002008-03-27T12:58:45.870+03:00Robbery of an electronics kiosk at the Mercato Mall in Jumeirah.<div align="justify">Three men from Georgia and a Russian woman were charged yesterday before the Dubai Criminal Courts with robbing an electronics kiosk at the Mercato Mall in Jumeirah.<br /><br />While defendants, Besic T., 34, Bakriba M., 34, and Ana S., 23, pleaded not guilty to the charge, Gorky, 39 admitted his participation in the crime.<br /><br />The four were arrested on March 2 after police tracked them down in Sharjah.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />According to Lt Abdel Karim H., the alleged perpetrators were identified through footage captured by the mall’s security cameras on February 28.<br /><br />Police said they separately raided the apartments of Ana and Bakriba where the stolen items were recovered. Gorky confessed to serving as the gang’s lookout.<br /><br />More witnesses are scheduled to be presented before the court when trial resumes on April 9.<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0