Abu Dhabi Traffic Department continues its campaign to arrest drivers who speed, cover their license plates, or paint the front of their cars, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.

An official from Abu Dhabi police said the city had the latest technology and advanced equipment that worked with laser to detect violators. He said drivers who tried to trick the system by covering their number plates were wrong.

“Some drivers are spraying their number plates with chemicals to cover them. Others block parts of their number plates. They do not know that they are breaking the law,” the official commented.

The source said fines for such offenses could reach as high as 20,000 dirhams.

In case the driver is with his family, police hold the identification and passport of the driver until he has taken his family to a safe place. After that, he will have to return to the station to complete the procedures.

In case the driver is alone, his car will be seized and he will be held for 24 hours, after which he will be transferred to court. In such cases, the offender either pays the fine immediately or finds someone to bail him out.

The Saudi Embassy in Abu Dhabi notified the custom officials on the border to warn drivers, so they would not make such mistakes.

A source from the embassy said that Saudis in such cases helped each other to pay the fine. As for those who cannot pay it, the embassy interferes to secure their families and find ways to help them stay out of prison.

A senior traffic official in the UAE has called on Saudi nationals visiting the country to respect the local traffic laws.