Undercover Dubai police officers arrest 20,000 beachgoers

Next time you head to the beach and find yourself annoyed by the lookylooky guys selling handbags that nobody seems to buy, someone playing music too loudly or strangers spending too long ogling some of the more natural lady bits on display, spare a thought for beachgoers in Dubai.

Dubai police have just released figures revealing that they have arrested more than 20,000 beachgoers since 2012 for a variety of offences such as pestering or filming sunbathers and swimming in the sea in underwear.

Brigadier Mohammad Rashid Al Muhairi, head of tourism security at Dubai Police, said his force has undercover members patrolling the beaches each day.

Brigadier Al Muhairi says, “Many people, especially Asians, come to the sea to monitor women on beaches.”

“We warn these people first – but if he repeats it then we take him to the police station to make him sign a document that he won’t repeat the offence again. Some of them target women sunbathing and stand near them looking – or sometimes taking pictures or annoying them.”

The shocked Brigadier added that men swimming in their Y-front underwear were also warned for committing ‘inappropriate acts.’

“When they step out the sea, you can see through their wet, white pants,” he said.