Dubai: A man has been accused of attempting to steal electric cables after forensic reports confirmed that his DNA traces matched those found on a cigarette butt found at the scene.

The 32-year-old Pakistani jobless man and his two countrymen, who remain at large, were said to have stopped a minivan in front of a du transmission room, from where they planned to steal electric cables in April 2015.

According to reports, two security guards were patrolling the area near the transmission room when they spotted the 32-year-old and his two accomplices loading electric cables in the minivan.

When the guards realised that the three men were stealing cables, they rushed to stop them and the trio fled, leaving the minivan behind.

Police interrogators found a cigarette butt in the minivan and sent it to Dubai Police’s forensic laboratory for examination. The DNA traces lifted from the butt matched those of the 32-year-old. The latter had already been apprehended for involvement in another robbery.

Prosecutors accused the 32-year-old of attempting to steal.

When he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance, the suspect pleaded not guilty and refuted the accusation of attempted theft.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the 32-year-old and the two absconders tried to steal electric cables from the transmission room before security guards foiled their attempt.

“I did not steal. I was in prison when the incident happened,” the suspect told presiding judge Mohammad Jamal.

A Nepalese guard claimed to prosecutors that he and his partner spotted a group of men loading electric cables in a minivan that they had parked beside the transmission room.

“We rushed to check their identification and, when they saw us, they ran away and left behind the cables and the minivan,” he testified to prosecutors.

A police corporal testified to prosecutors: “The forensic examination report confirmed that the DNA traces that were lifted from a cigarette butt found in the minivan matched those of the suspect. The latter had been detained at another police station for another robbery. Upon questioning him, the suspect at first denied being involved in the attempted theft. However, when we confronted him with the findings, he admitted that he and his two friends had tried to steal cables.”

Records said the trio had fixed stolen car number plates on the minivan that they used during the attempted theft.

A ruling will be heard on January 15.