For those planning to work and live in the UAE, one of the basic documents that you need to secure is an Emirates ID. This document is a legal requirement for all UAE citizens and residents (expats included) to apply for and carry at all times, as this will serve as proof of identity to avail of government services, to vote in the elections of Federal National Council, as a travel document for UAE citizens to travel within the GCC and as a document to pass immigration through the eGates and smart gates at several airports in the UAE, among others.
ALSO READ: How to Apply for a UAE Resident Identity Card (Emirates ID)
These government ID cards are managed and issued by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship. By this, it is considered unlawful for companies to withhold the Emirates ID cards of their employees or their customers and visitors or for any individual to to seize the Emirates ID card of other people. Any form of misuse and illegal acquisition of this document will hold an individual liable to judicial authorities.
Emirates Post Employee Steals 100 Emirates ID, Each Sold for up to AED 105
In relation to this, four men were sent to trial for stealing 100 Emirates ID cards and selling them. One of the accused was an employee at Emirates Post Al Karama branch, as shared in a report by Emarat Al Youm.
As per the director of the security department at Emirates Post, the first defendant’s job, an Asian man, was to receive Emirates ID card shipments from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship and to store them in a safe room. The first defendant was also responsible for handing over the ID cards to their respective owners.
Upon receiving complaints on the disappearance of several ID cards, the technicians at the centre decided to review the surveillance cameras, through which the suspect was caught on camera stealing the cards.
The defendant reportedly took with him 100 IDs on three separate occasions. The Asian man confessed to the crime, also informing the police that he had sold them to the second accused on the basis of a prior agreement between them.
The second man then admitted to buying and receiving the ID cards from the first accused at AED 80 per card, and then selling them to the third man at AED 100 each. He, in turn, sold the Emirates IDs to a fourth defendant for AED 105 per piece.
For anyone applying for a government ID card, it’s important to go through the legal channels for application of such document in order not to jeopardize your records and ultimately your stay in the country. For such matters, you may refer to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship’s Website.
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