A young man in Dubai spent about three weeks in detention and faced legal proceedings after finding and keeping a bank card, in a case highlighting that retaining another person’s card can have legal consequences.

According to case records, the man found a bank card in a residential area of Dubai and kept it for some time. Police later seized the card and referred the matter to the relevant authorities for legal review.

Investigations established that the bank card belonged to another person. His failure to notify the cardholder or hand it over to the authorities raised suspicions about how it might have been used. After reviewing the evidence, the court considered the case under offences related to the unauthorised possession of payment instruments and banking information.

The man told the court that he had not intended to use the card or carry out any financial transactions and had merely found it. However, the judicial authority stressed that anyone who finds another person’s bank card must immediately hand it over to the police, the issuing bank or the cardholder, warning that keeping it could lead to legal trouble.

Legal experts have warned that a bank card, mobile phone or any item containing another person’s personal or financial information should not be treated as insignificant. Keeping such items without officially reporting or surrendering them may result in criminal liability, even if the person claims they had no intention of misusing them.

The case once again underscores the importance of complying with UAE laws governing other people’s property and financial information. Authorities urge residents who find bank cards or personal documents to report them through official channels.