Emirates: The Sharjah Police in coordination with Sharjah Municipality authorities have started a crackdown on illegal activities at deserted and dilapidated homes and abandoned buildings in the emirate.

The punitive action is being taken following complaints from residents about concerns over the abuse of under-construction buildings and rundown structures, as they became a safe haven for illegal workers and criminals.

Brigadier General Ibrahim Al Ajel, the Director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Sharjah Police, said intense police patrols managed to weed out social evils such as gambling and drug abuse, which were rampant in abandoned and under-construction buildings.

Construction activities had stopped in several buildings owing to financial constraints or other reasons and in several of these sites there were no security guards, civic officials said.

The crisis had further deepened because of the raging novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19)

outbreak, which roiled the economic activities and encouraged illegal activities.

However, the authorities have launched an intense campaign to eradicate all anti-social elements and stop illegal activities from the emirate.

A Sharjah Police official said: “The illegal practices had risen, as many owners of under-construction buildings failed to hire guards after the construction stopped. It's the owner's duty is to protect the building from being abused by lumpen elements. The owner must hire a security guard if construction stops for over a month.”

He urged the building owners to protect them from criminal activities and construction materials be kept under lock and key.

"We are trying to locate abandoned buildings and arrest the perpetrators," he added.

The civic authorities said they were not responsible to guard buildings under construction. However, they would prevent trespassers from carrying out illegal activities.