JEDDAH, 6 January — Officials of the anti-beggary department in Abha arrested 27 beggars from a hideout in the city's suburb. The gang comprised of 18 women and nine children of African origin who used to beg at mosques in the city as well as in nearby villages, said a source at the government agency.
The gang started practicing their dishonorable profession in the villages and later moved to the city along the coastal road from Jizan. They had stored a number of household items in their hideout, which they had received from houses in the area. The arrested beggars, including children, will be handed to the Passport Department in Asir for deportation. A baby girl in the group was admitted to a hospital when she was found to be suffering from a mysterious ailment. The official, however, denied that the baby was suffering from Rift Valley Fever.
The department in Asir has arrested a total of 293 beggars of different nationalities since the beginning of Ramadan.
Beggars from various poor countries come to the Kingdom particularly in the holy month of Ramadan in the guise of pilgrims. More than 1,000 beggars were arrested in Makkah in the first 15 days of Ramadan alone.
Three percent of them were Saudi nationals, an official of the anti-begging department said. Punishment of expatriate beggars included fines and deportation to their respective countries. Saudi beggars were handed over to charity organizations and social insurance offices. Physical handicap as a result of polio or partial paralysis is the most common excuse used by beggars.
