Authorities from Zarqa's Social Development Directorate apprehended a vagrant on Friday in one of Zarqa's mosques.

The vagrant, sitting in a wheelchair and displaying an amputated leg to solicit sympathy from worshippers, collected over JD 200 after the Friday prayer.

The Director of Social Development in Zarqa, Dr. Jawad Abu Al-Ghanam, stated that the vagrant, who was caught in one of Zarqa's mosques, has been apprehended multiple times and receives a civilian retirement pension.

Additionally, six other individuals were caught in the daily field campaigns conducted by committees from the relevant directorate aimed at combating this phenomenon. All the vagrants apprehended are repeat offenders.

Abu Al-Ghanam said that the directorate, during the year 2023, caught more than 300 vagrants, mostly men and women, including Arab nationals. The presence of beggars becomes more noticeable during the morning and evening rush hours at traffic lights, coinciding with the entry and exit of employees from work. Abu Al-Ghanam encouraged citizens to prioritize rationality over emotions, advising them not to fall for beggars' tactics and deceptive methods and to remain steadfast in their emotional composure.

Abu Al-Ghanam explained that there are administrative procedures taken against repeat offenders in begging, including referral to the administrative governorate for adults or to the Zarqa Center for the Care of Minors for juveniles. A social study is conducted to understand their social conditions. The ongoing campaigns conducted by the directorate aim to address this issue.

He called on citizens to report any vagrant incidents for appropriate action, providing contact information on the Ministry of Social Development's website or email.