That was perhaps the inevitable headline to a story that ran in The National over the weekend concerning a group of people dedicated to researching paranormal activity in the UAE.

This was known as the Ghostbusters story, in the newsroom, harking back to the wonderful 1984 movie with Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. The theme song of which included the line: “I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost”.

The question that nearly all veteran editors at The National verbalized, when they heard about the story was: “And they are not going to get in trouble for ‘sorcery’?” Which is taken seriously in the UAE, and is the target of laws against it.

Well, no. It was decided the story could run. It was left to the reader to decide if the people who belong the Emirates Ghost Investigators Group are useful.

Apparently, more than a few people living in the UAE believe this or that place is haunted.

The UAE Ghostbusters don’t claim to solve “hauntings”. Not like Murray and Aykroyd and Ramis did, as they captured ghosts and goblins in New York City.

It seems as if the local group responds to the more credible emails and looks around … and perhaps advise people of what to do or how to do it.

(I also am noticing that the nothern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah seems to be involved in various ghost stories in the country. It has been inhabited far long than most of Abu Dhabi, and it has a lot more old and spooky-looking buildings.)

The thing is … these people are serious. The founder, a Pakistani, said he allows new members in the group only if they are “special people who have extra powers”.

They do not charge for their investigations.