Dubai: Six men have been accused of breaking into a villa and stealing Dh430,000 worth of valuables, electronics and perfumes while the tenant was overseas during the summer holiday.
The six Sri Lankan suspects, aged between 27 and 48, allegedly used a screwdriver to break into the Egyptian owner’s villa in July.
Prosecutors accused five men of sneaking into the villa through a window and robbing the place.
A sixth suspect was charged with aiding and abetting the remaining suspects.
The defendants pleaded not guilty and refuted any connection to the heist when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspects stole five wristwatches worth Dh250,000, five smartphones, three tablets, jewellery sets worth Dh60,000, five perfume bottles worth Dh24,000 and five women’s purses.
The suspects jumped over the villa’s fence, broke the window using the screwdriver, sneaked into the house and stole the belongings from the bedroom.
The villa’s Egyptian tenant claimed to prosecutors that he discovered the heist once he returned from his summer holiday in July.
“When I entered my villa in Al Mizhar, I discovered that a number of thieves had broken down the bedroom door and stolen belongings and valuables,” he testified.
A police sergeant claimed to prosecutors that two of the suspects were apprehended in Sharjah shortly after the incident.
“I accompanied the two suspects to the villa to recreate the crime. One of them claimed that they went to the villa in a rented car that they parked one metre away from the fence. He further alleged that three of them sneaked into the villa and returned with the stolen items. The remaining suspects were apprehended later. Some of the stolen items were recovered from the suspects’ possession,” the sergeant testified to prosecutors.
Prosecution records said the sixth suspect aided and abetted the crime by issuing visit visas to three of the suspects.
Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal will hand out a ruling on December 6.
