24 illegal immigrants sheltered by Emirati arrested in Abu Dhabi

Published: February 24, 2009, 15:21

Abu Dhabi: Twenty four illegal immigrants sheltered by a UAE national at his residence in Bani Yas have been arrested by the Naturalisation and Residency Department in Abu Dhabi.

The accused UAE national was referred to The Bani Yas Court of First Instance, which fined him Dh2.4 million for harbouring infiltrators reported to have entered into the country illegally, said Brigadier Nasser Al Awadhi Al Manhali, director general of the department.

He said the accused was also sentenced to four months in jail, indicating that the jail term could be extended to six months in case he fails to pay the fine.

The illegal workers, all men, were sentenced to two months in jail, followed by deportation.

Al Manhali said the crackdown comes in line with the instructions of Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Interior Minister, to step up inspections round-the-clock, adding that the UAE national was arrested following verifications of reports that he was harbouring illegal immigrants.

The public prosecution issued the arrest warrant. He warned UAE nationals and expatriates alike against offering shelter to law violators and infiltrators.


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