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Catherine Wong

A 16-year-old stowaway who flew from China to Dubai to become a beggar after hiding in the cargo bay of an aircraft has been arrested, according to a newspaper report.
The boy sneaked into an Emirates airliner on Thursday at an airport in Shanghai, according to the Chengdu Economic Daily.
He was caught after the aircraft landed in Dubai and he had spent 9½ hours on the plane, according to the article.
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The boy from Sichuan province, whose full name was not given, was quoted as saying he sneaked on board because he had heard beggars could make almost 500,000 yuan (HK$590,000) a month in Dubai.
“I heard there is gold to be found everywhere in Dubai. Even the worst beggar is able to earn 470,000 yuan a month,” he was quoted as saying. 
The newspaper said the boy told police he was not worried about getting caught because he was still only a minor and would not face prosecution.
Jail was also not a problem because he had heard Dubai’s prisons provided good accommodation, the boy was quoted as saying by a court interpreter interviewed by the paper.
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Ma Xuliang, China’s deputy consul general in Dubai, told the newspaper that rumours about the high earnings of beggars were untrue and that asking for money on the streets was illegal in the Persian Gulf city.
The boy is likely to be sent back to China and blacklisted by the Dubai immigration authorities for life, according to the report.
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The Dubai authorities are investigating the case, which may take two to three months, to check if the boy is connected to organised crime groups.
He is still detained inside a police station at Dubai airport, according to the article.


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Boy stowaway caught after flying from China to Dubai to ‘become beggar’

A file picture of an Emirates airliner. The boy stowed away on one of the carrier’s aircraft for 9½ hours, according to the newspaper report. Photo: AFP

=== NO ARCHIVE IMAGE === ATN. STOWAWAY31. SCMP Pictures (UNDATED HANDOUT)

News

China

People & Culture

Child from Sichuan province believed he could make a fortune asking for money on streets of the Gulf city, according to newspaper report
