Dubai, September 26: Three persons, who ate and smoke in public during daytime in Ramadan, were arrested by the General Department of Criminal Investigation, according to a Dubai Police officer.
Among those arrested were a European and two Arabs, who insisted on eating in public, despite being Muslims.
The officer, who asked not to be named, said that usually no action is taken against violators if they apologise and are unaware of the local culture. But action is taken against those who knowingly breach the rules.
He said that since 2006, only 27 people have been arrested for violating Ramadan rules.
Brigadier Khalil Al Mansouri, director of General Department of Criminal Investigation, said that people found eating or drinking during daytime in public during Ramadan risk a maximum of one month’s imprisonment and a fine of up to Dh2,000.
Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution in Dibba-Fujairah has ordered extension of the detention of four Emirati youths pending trial for allegedly eating in public during the fasting hours of Ramadan.
They were arrested last week after a police patrol spotted them in a tent in Al Faqait coastal area.
Policemen, who got suspicious as to what they were doing in the tent in daytime, stepped in and found them eating. They told the police that they bought the food from a restaurant in Dibba-Fujairah and ate it as they were travelling. A person who is travelling is allowed to eat during daytime in the holy month as per the Islamic teachings.
The police referred them to the prosecution.
–Agencies