Dubai cops: High on booze, drugs, youth street racing superbikes, cars

Groups of youth have been found to get themselves high on alcohol and narcotic pills before holding car races on the streets of Warqa in Dubai, Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, acting director-general of Dubai Traffic Police, has revealed.
With the recent improvement in weather, police patrols have noticed the re-appearance of groups of young troublemaking motorcyclists in areas like Warqa, University City, Mamzar, Twar, Muhaisnah and Oud Muteena.
Some grocers in the area are supplying the car races with their requirements, Al Mazrouei added.
These youths also play dangerous games like sand skiing after tying themselves to bikes and cars, Al Mazrouei said.
The police cannot turn a blind eye to these youth who sometimes pretend to be exercising and stage joint protests against the police when they are stopped while racing or when their vehicles are seized.
Youth from other emirates also come to Warqa to race their bikes with their peers. Bikes as expensive as Dh150,000 have been seized by the traffic police.
If the youth obstruct the traffic police from performing their duties, it could become a criminal case, Al Mazrouie warned.
Vehicles involved in dangerous races, whether in the desert or on city streets, can be impounded for 30 days and the owners of the vehicles can be fined Dh2,000 each along with 12 black points.
Besides Warqa, some youths are racing dangerously on the streets of Jumeirah and Mamzar after dark.
A young man from Abu Dhabi was recently fined Dh2,000 though he claimed that he did not know that dangerous racing is not allowed in Dubai.
Colonel Saif Muhair of Dubai Police said 950 motorcycles were seized last year for causing nuisance to the public, particularly women.
In an act of vengeance against the police officials who had come to arrest him, a youth opened the fuel tank of his motorbike and set it on fire. However, the police succeeded in controlling the fire before the bike exploded.
Al Mazrouei expressed concern at the worsening of problems created by these reckless drivers. He felt that military patrols can provide some deterrence to them.