- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:31 05:49 12:21 15:48 18:47 20:05
Sister Gertrud Tiefenbacher, from the Sacred Heart Home Convent in the village of Ixopo, southwest of Durban, was found murdered in her room. (Shutterstock)
Dubai’s authorities have denied reports that they have raided some apartments to seize unlicensed satellite receiver systems, saying they do not take such measures even if they have court permission.
Brigadier Khalil Ibrahim al Mansoori, director of the department of detectives and criminal investigation in Dubai, said he was reacting to reports published in some local English-language newspapers that police have stormed some flats after receiving information about the presence of unlicensed receiver systems.
“The reports about storming those apartments and confiscating their passports and unlicensed receiver systems are totally incorrect….Dubai’s police are keen to protect all residents living on this land and they will never take any measure that will contravene legal procedures,” he told Emirat Alyoum daily.
But Mamsoori said the police did warn those who possess such systems, adding that most of them responded to the warning.
“Only four cases were referred to the prosecutor because they failed to respond…but police did not enter any house or flat although we have obtained a warrant…this is because such cases do not justify raiding those flats,” he said.
“The authorities concerned just went to those apartments, knocked at their doors and asked their residents to hand over those unlicensed systems and to come to the Department at a later date for routine investigation.”
Mansoori said such measures are part of the Department’s efforts to combat satellite piracy in response to licensed TV receivers agents.
He said that police, after receiving a complaint from those agents, notify the building’s management to remove those unlicensed and illegal receivers within a period not exceeding 15 days.
“In case they fail to comply, we summon the persons in charge and file charges against them under the 2002 law number 7 governing intellectual property. The case is then referred to the public prosecutor.”
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.