Abu Dhabi: When a group of five Arab-speaking youth, wearing the dishdasha and holding a walkie-talkie, claimed to be CID officials, an Abu Dhabi resident did not get intimidated and give in to their demands to furnish his identification (ID) card.
Instead, reminded of incidents of people impersonating police officers and conning unsuspecting victims, he had the gumption to seek their identity proof.
The incident occurred at around 7.30pm on January 3 in the bustling Tourist Club Area in Abu Dhabi. When the five-member gang approached Madappattuparambil Mohammad Akbar, 37, an Indian driver, the area was deserted.
Recalling that the gang members appeared very young, probably even under 18 years of age, Akbar said he immediately exercised caution since he had Dh2,000 in his wallet.
Though the youth spoke Arabic, they were not Emiratis, but nationals from other Arab countries, he clarified.
On being asked to display their ID card, one gang member "flashed" a certain document in front of Akbar.
Proof of identity
However, the latter refused to give in until the gang members displayed appropriate identity proof of being officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
"Then, one of them started talking on a walkie-talkie. He told me angrily that his superior had instructed him to detain me for not showing the ID card," Akbar said.
Although this made Akbar hesitant, he had decided to not give in without putting up a fight.
His insistence on not display his ID card made the youth furious. "One of them started attacking me and I resisted," Akbar said. However, he realised that it was not safe to fight with a five-member gang.
"I knew it was not easy to get immediate help from the police, but I decided to try my luck," Akbar said. In between trying to thwart the criminals' attempt to assault him, Akbar managed to dial 999 [emergency number of the police] from his mobile and reported the incident.
Gang members
"The moment they heard my conversation with the police, the youths ran away," Akbar said.
The police, meanwhile, arrived at the scene, combed the area and arrested four of the five gang members. Akbar went to the Al Mina police station and registered a formal complaint.
An official spokesman of the Abu Dhabi Police confirmed that a group of people had recently been apprehended for impersonating police officers.
Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence and those found guilty will be dealt with accordingly, he told Gulf News.
Verify credentials
All members of the community need to verify the identity of any person who claims to be a police officer, by asking them to produce their Identification Card (ID), a senior police official said.
As Gulf News has frequently reported, criminals pose as CID officials to rob people of their money and belongings.
The victims in such incidents are generally uneducated workers who are not aware of their right to ask the ID card of plainclothes police officers. Some hapless women have also become victims of such bogus CID officials.
As Gulf News reported on December 6, 2011, an unemployed man is being tried in a Dubai court for posing as a policeman, kidnapping a young woman from the beach, driving her to the desert and raping her.
The suspect, identified as H.J., 28 (a UAE national), was charged with impersonating a police official, kidnapping the 23-year-old Russian, M.A., and raping her. He was also charged with stealing her belongings.
Judge Mahmoud Al Sharshabi adjourned hearing on the case until later this month.
All members of the community need to verify the identity of any person who claims to be a police officer, by asking them to produce their Identification Card (ID), a senior police official said.
As Gulf News has frequently reported, criminals pose as CID officials to rob people of their money and belongings. The victims in such incidents are generally uneducated workers who are not aware of their right to ask the ID card of plainclothes police officers. Some hapless women have also become victims of such bogus CID officials.
As Gulf News reported on December 6, 2011, an unemployed man is being tried in a Dubai court for posing as a policeman, kidnapping a young woman from the beach, driving her to the desert, and raping her. The suspect, identified as H.J., 28 (a UAE national), was charged with impersonating a police official, kidnapping the 23-year-old Russian, M.A., and raping her. He was also charged with stealing her belongings.
Judge Mahmoud Al Sharshabi adjourned the case until later this month.
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