Four jailed for stealing smartphones

Dubai: Four unemployed men, who broke into an electronics store and stole Dh40,000 worth of smartphones and devices, have been jailed for one year. The Afghan quartet — M.A., Q.Z., N.C. and R.M. — armed themselves with screwdrivers and broke the locks of the store in Naif area, then stole the products in September and October last year.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the four of stealing Dh21,000 worth of items in 2014’s September and Dh19,000 worth of mobile phones in October from the same store.

Q.Z. and N.C. pleaded not guilty in court, while M.A. and R.M. entered guilty pleas.

“I was outside the UAE at the time when the incident took place. I did not commit this crime,” Q.Z. said.

Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal said the quartet will be deported following the completion of their sentences.

Records said the Afghan defendants committed the robbery along with other suspects who remain at large.

The store’s Indian owner testified that he closed the store at midnight on September 29.

“The next day when I went to open the store, I discovered that it had been burgled. The culprits had broken into the store and stole a number of electronic devices and mobile phones. I reported the burglary to the police. Nine days later, the store was robbed a second time using the same modus operandi,” said the owner.

A police lieutenant said a special team was formed to investigate the two robberies.

“The defendants had broken the glass on both occasions and robbed the place at night. In April 2015, the Afghan defendants were apprehended in Ras Al Khaimah for their involvement in other robberies carried out using the same modus operandi. During questioning, they admitted that they broke into the electronics store in Naif area. They said there were eight suspects. They alleged that they used screwdrivers to break into the shop,” testified the lieutenant.

Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.