JEDDAH, 6 November 2003 — Authorities have begun a massive crackdown on begging networks since the start of Ramadan. The leader of a large begging network has been arrested; the man, a non-Saudi, headed a network that included women and children. In Sharafiya district, vans have been seen transporting groups of beggars.
“This is their boom season,” policeman Abdul Rahman Al-Mabsary told Arab News. “Begging goes on all year round but what makes it different at this time of year is the increase in numbers, and the increase in complaints from people about harassment.”
Muhammad Hassan finally had to call the police after beggars rang his door bell for a whole hour. “It was a group of women who seemed to be middle-aged and of African origin. At first they used kind words and prayers, but when I didn’t give them what they wanted, their tone changed. When I asked them to leave, they began to insult me. They stood outside my house, shouting and chanting, calling my family names.”
Saad Al-Sharani of the anti-begging department said that the department was increasing its presence in locations where beggars gather and thrive. The department is monitoring the movement of beggars, especially children in front of hospitals and shopping centers. Other law enforcement agencies have joined the anti-begging department in a national effort to eliminate the problem.
Most of those arrested have been overstayers; children caught are handed over to the authorities to search for their families and discover why they were begging. The anti-begging department is also educating people about how to avoid scams by these groups.
