A woman has been arrested after threatening to blow up the Dubai Public Prosecution headquarters, using rolled-up cardboard to mimic an explosives belt.
The Uzbek national, who was accompanied by her son, was detained after more than 13 hours of negotiations with police, which began on Sunday and ended on Monday. The Emirati man she claimed was her husband through a non-official marriage has also been arrested for questioning.
The woman was approached by police from behind so that she would not get a chance to use the remote or the button of the small device she was holding at the time. The device was connected to wires linked to the belt tied around her waist. The police succeeded in removing the belt and their suspicion that there were no explosives was confirmed when they realised that the belt was just a roll of cardboard, set up to look like an explosives belt.
At noon on Sunday, she demanded that the paternity of her son be proved and threatened to blow herself up if her demands were not met. The woman entered the Public Prosecution building before midday and showed her belt to the employees and clients. The police and the Civil Defence soon evacuated the building.
Photo credit creative commons BY flickr travelourplanet.com