The African robbers in Sharjah Police custody.

Sohaila Ahmed, Staff Reporter

Field investigation teams of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Sharjah have succeeded in arresting a gang of six members from Africa who committed crimes of theft and pickpocketing in the Industrial Area and Al Wahda Street.

The remarkable efforts made by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Sharjah Police General Directorate are in line with the UAE’s vision to be one of the best countries to provide safety and security.

The Sharjah Police Commander-in-Chief, Maj. Gen. Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, praised the outstanding efficiency and ability of policemen in the Criminal Investigation Department in controlling and responding to all criminal acts, apart from providing all possible assistance to achieve the vision of safety and security.

Maj. Gen. Al Shamsi also called on all authorities handling entry-visas to review regulations of some nationalities through statistics and analysis of practised criminal methods by some nationalities, in which the ongoing investigation revealed that four of the gang members entered the country on a visit visa, while the other two were illegal residents.

Maj. Gen. Al Shamsi urged all members of the community to cooperate with security services by reporting all suspicious cases on the toll-free number (999) for emergencies, and (901) for non-emergency cases.

Recently, officers of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Sharjah Police foiled an attempt to rob a shop by two African nationals in Sharjah. The police were informed about the robbery after two African men were seen entering one of the shopping centres in Sharjah.

Immediately after receiving the information, police force patrols rushed to the scene to find that one of the thieves had been caught by the staff members, while the other escaped.

A security team was instantly formed to search for the suspect, and after intensive investigations, Sharjah Police successfully located and arrested him in Industrial Area 4. The two culprits have confessed to their crime after being thoroughly investigated by police. The suspects were referred to the Public Prosecution.

Sharjah Police have played a major role in reducing crime in the emirate by 58 per cent last year. This fulfilled the aim of securing Sharjah City and the Ministry of Interior’s objective of making the UAE one of the most secure countries in the world.