Expat Woman Rescued in Sharjah After Coded 'Pizza' Call to Police
A Sharjah Police emergency operator rescued an expatriate woman after decoding her repeated request to 'order pizza' as a disguised cry for help while her husband threatened her at home.
Expat Woman Rescued in Sharjah After Coded 'Pizza' Call to Police
A female expatriate in Sharjah was saved by an emergency call-center operator who realized her repeated demand to "order pizza" was a concealed distress signal while she faced threats inside her residence.
Captain Majid Al Bas, who leads the Communications Operations Branch at Sharjah Police, disclosed the incident on the "Aman Ya Biladi" show broadcast by Sharjah Radio in partnership with the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority.
According to Captain Al Bas, the operator—named Khamis—answered a call from a foreign woman who kept saying she wished to place a pizza order, even after he clarified she had reached the police rather than a food outlet. Detecting she spoke under constraint, he maintained the conversation.
To stall for time and collect clues, Khamis asked how many pizzas she required, trying to estimate how many individuals were on the premises, and what beverages she preferred. She replied she needed a single pizza, hinting that only one other person was there.
While keeping her talking, Khamis informed his supervisor and activated location-tracing protocols. The operations room pinpointed her address in Sharjah and sent patrol units to the scene.
Arriving officers discovered the woman was being menaced by her spouse, who appeared to be in an altered mental state. They secured the location and ensured she was out of danger.
Captain Al Bas noted the episode illustrates why emergency staff must be trained to spot indirect or hidden cries for assistance, especially when callers cannot speak freely. He explained that such camouflaged appeals are a globally known tactic used by people needing quiet rescue, and that Sharjah Police staff receive instruction in recognizing faint behavioral and verbal cues during emergency calls.
Source: Khaleej Times