Seventy-two people were caught trying to illegally get into the country through the UAE-Oman border in the first eight months of this year, said a senior police official. Major Badr Rashid Al Tunaiji, head of the Hatta Police Station in Dubai, says that the number of people illegally trying to cross the border has gone down as in 2010, the number of violators that had been caught by police within the same period was 109. He noted that previously, the numbers had been low with officials only coming across 50 or 60 cases, “but this has gone up recently.” Police and army officers are responsible for protecting the borders and arresting violators who try to get in without proper documents, he added. Al Tunaiji attributed the decrease in cases to continuous control operations by coast guards and police patrols at border points. He noted that the city of Hatta is 115 kilometres away from Dubai, “which is considered to be a favourite tourist destination.” According to him, this makes it essential to ensure that there are security measures in place to ensure the safety of visitors, residents and tourists. He said that several special patrols that can be operated in the mountainous area of Hatta in addition to air patrols are available and have contributed to saving many people who got lost in the desert during their trip. Al Tunaiji pointed out that as a result of the security programmes in place, the crime rate has gone down considerably over the past eight months, especially for offences like smuggling of drugs and weapons. “We have taken measures to address the gaps that allow these crimes to take place.” He added that currently, the focus is on juveniles who drive their vehicles in mountainous areas. Police have launched an awareness campaign to stop this and have urged that the public cooperate with security bodies. Al Tunaiji said that the campaign targets schools, supermarkets and mosques to raise awareness among parents as well on the dangers of letting their children drive their vehicles in such areas.  ( from The Gulf Today )