Dubai: Five men have been accused of stealing gold worth Dh1.5 million from a jewellery store after threatening the staff with pepper spray and knives and locking them up in the washroom.
In the July incident, four masked men wearing gloves, identified as Afghans, stormed into the store in Dubai International City at around noon, stole the gold and fled in a vehicle.
The fifth remained in the getaway car.
The men used pepper spray on at least one employee.
Preliminary investigations helped Dubai Police trace the plate number of the car that the suspects had rented to carry out the heist. Police then tracked down and arrested three of the men, aged between 25 and 35, while two others remain at large.
Primary interrogations revealed that the men had fled towards Al Ain where they got rid of the weapons (knives and pepper spray) and the gloves and masks.
Prosecutors accused the five men of using physical violence and weapons to commit robbery.
The three suspects in custody pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.
They asked presiding judge Shaikha Hamad to adjourn the hearing till they present their defence when the court reconvenes on October 17.
A police lieutenant testified to prosecutors that “during questioning, the suspects admitted that they had planned to storm the store and steal the gold after having monitored the place for some time. They also admitted that they bought the gloves, masks and pepper spray. The suspects said one of them stayed in the car while the remaining four stormed into the store and carried out the heist … they said that they sprayed pepper in the eyes of the staff and then locked some of them in the washroom”.
According to records, part of the stolen gold was recovered from the arrested suspects. The remaining is with the two men at large.
