Duo accused of confining man, 5 women and demanding Dh15,000

Dubai: Two men have been accused of confining a visitor with his five female friends inside a flat for nearly six hours and stealing their passports and mobiles phones.

The duo, K.G. and K.A., from Comoros Islands, were said to have forced their way into the flat and posed as policemen to the Pakistani visitor and his countrywomen friends.

When the visitor failed to give the duo Dh15,000, K.G. and K.A. beat him up and stole the passports and mobile phones of the six Pakistanis.

Prosecutors charged the defendants with theft and illegal confinement.

The suspects pleaded not guilty and refuted their accusations when they showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

“We did not do that … we are innocent,” K.G. told presiding judge Shaikha Hamad.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the defendants and another suspect, who remains at large, took the Pakistanis’ belongings and ran away after they locked them inside the flat in February.

The visitor claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened while he was helping his women friends find accommodation in Bur Dubai.

“A building’s watchman took us to a flat to check it out. While we were inside, three men stormed in and claimed to be policemen. They showed us IDs that I could not properly read or see. I handed my passport to one of them … then suddenly another one beat me. They demanded payment of Dh15,000 but I said that I did not have money. They assaulted all of us … and prevented me from escaping. They kept us in the flat for around six hours during which they constantly asked me to pay them money or call some friends to bring me money. Then they stole our mobile phones and passports and ran away,” testified the visitor.

One of the visitor’s friends claimed that she had asked him to help her find a place to rent, according to her prosecution statement.

“While we were checking the flat, the suspects confined us inside and asked him to pay Dh15,000. They claimed that they would keep our passports in their possession until they collect the money. We were scared and afraid to run away,” she claimed.

A policeman testified to prosecutors that the visitor’s friend notified them about the incident.

“We went to the building in Al Rifaa … we arrested the duo under the building where they had been waiting to take the money. The suspects claimed during questioning that the visitor owed them that money and they wanted him to pay,” he claimed.

Two lawyers will be appointed to defend the suspects when the court reconvenes on December 20.