Dubai: Six masked men, who armed themselves with a toy gun, a taser gun and tear gas canister and raided a money exchange and stole Dh702,000, have been jailed for three years each.
Four of the six Kyrgyz men used corrosive material, the pistol and tear gas canister to threaten two of the Al Karama-based exchange house’s staff and two clients during the bold heist around 4pm in December 2015.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the six men of robbing the exchange house, intentionally setting on fire the car that they used during the heist and assaulting the staff with the corrosive material and the taser gun.
The mastermind behind the robbery, who remains at large, was sentenced in absentia on Wednesday.
Two of the defendants were found guilty of resisting arrest and assaulting three policemen when they tried to detain them.
The absconding defendant stole two number plates from another car and fixed them on the vehicle that they used during the robbery.
Presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi said the convicts will be deported following the completion of their punishments.
The taser gun and toy gun will be confiscated by the court.
Four of the defendants pleaded guilty and admitted that they carried out the armed robbery.
“I participated in the heist but I did not set the car on fire … I stood there at the entrance but I did not collect any money. I did not assault any arresting policeman,” a defendant told the court.
“I participated only as a driver. The absconder is the one who masterminded the whole thing. He threatened us and coerced us to assist him in the heist by threatening to kill our families,” argued a defendant.
Another convict contended that they used a toy gun and not a real gun.
One defendant pleaded not guilty.
An Indian driver said he witnessed two masked men storming into the exchange house when he went to collect a money transfer.
“One of them walked towards me and used the taser gun on me. He also sprayed corrosive material on me … I fell to the floor in pain. I heard shouting and screaming for nearly four minutes … then I was transferred to hospital,” he claimed.
An Indian salesman testified that a defendant sprayed corrosive material in his eyes and used the taser gun on him.
An Indian woman staff said four tall masked men stormed into the place while she was serving a client.
An Indian accountant said one of the robbers cried to me ‘get out’.
“I felt scared and tried to hit the alarm button but it didn’t function. The staff ran out and one of the defendants went behind the counter and emptied the cash into a black bag that he was carrying,” said the accountant.
A police lieutenant testified that the defendants were identified instantly after the incident.
“Some of them were apprehended in Sharjah. One was stopped at the airport and one of them remains at large,” he testified.
Wednesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.