Indian tourist arrested on arrival in Sharjah for 'credit card dues'

Unpaid credit card dues of an unknown individual have come to haunt an Indian tourist visiting the UAE for the first time, leaving his wife and children to fend for themselves.

Mathew Joseph, a fishermen from Trivandrum in Kerala, landed here on January 12 to enjoy Dubai Shopping Festival. But his holiday plans turned disastrous after he was arrested by the immigration officials in Sharjah on arrival. Police say he has about Dh14,000 unpaid credit card dues, which he accumulated while he worked in Dubai a few years ago.

Interestingly, Joseph’s name, his father’s and mother’s name along with his picture and even the signature in the passport matches that of another absconding individual who had worked as a driver in Dubai a few years ago.

“Only his date of birth is different, but even that is of just seven days,” says Advocate Hashik TK.

The distraught wife of Joseph, who hails from the South Indian city of Trivandrum in Kerala, says her family’s survival is at stake.

She and her three school-going children have been surviving with friends’ support ever since the sole breadwinner in the family, was detained by the UAE immigration upon arrival on January 12. “Our daily income depends on his catch. He has his own fishing boat and he used to venture into the sea every day. His trip to visit Dubai has left us all shattered. A holiday has turned into a nightmare,” said his wife Sheeba Mathew.

Mathew who was arrested and remanded at the Al Ghusais police station is currently on bail but is not allowed to fly back to India.

“All his money is over. Instead of touring the place he is cloistered in my brother’s room, depressed and is now complaining of pain and weakness,” his wife added.

The family back home is also making efforts to trace the driver who originally absconded with credit card dues.

Meanwhile, the Indian Consulate in Dubai said it has finally issued a letter authenticating his passport as original.

“The letter can be produced before the authorities here and should be sufficient proof to determine the legality of the travel document,” said a senior official from the Indian Consulate in Dubai.

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