Ras Al Khaimah: A gang who attempted a daytime bank robbery and attacked staff and customers has been sentenced to five years in jail followed by deportation by Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court, a judiciary official at Ras Al Khaimah court told Gulf News.
The verdict was announced on Wednesday by Presiding Judge Yousuf Rajab.
The details of the case date back to February 28 when bank staff and customers fought off the robbers. The gang was made up of four men and one woman.
Four suspects were arrested after a foot chase by bank employees and customers that left two people injured, followed by a dramatic car chase and a police manhunt later in the day.
Police said the ordeal began when two women bank employees were confronted by one of the suspects who demanded money. One of the employees dropped the money on the floor and started screaming for help.
The bank manager, other staff and clients at the bank rushed to help the employee.
Once outside, a chase ensued and bank staff and customers managed to restrain one of the robbers.
The other suspects tried to free their accomplice by throwing rocks at people who were holding onto the suspect — some of the bank staff and customers received cuts and bruises from the melee, police said. However, the robber managed to break their hold and he rejoined the attackers who fled in a car parked near the bank driven by the fifth suspect, a woman.
All five suspects are of African origin, police said.
The manager called the police as the car sped off.
It wasn’t long before the erratic driving of the woman suspect was noticed by Ebrahim Rashid Al Shehi, an Emirati retired from the Armed Forces, who attempted to stop the car before other motorists or pedestrians were injured in the area.
Mohammad Saleh Mahmoud, an Arab expatriate, witnessed the erratic driver being pursued by an Emirati and decided to join in the chase to stop the swerving car which was estimated to be driving at a speed in excess of 200km/h.
The chase led the unlikely convoy into the desert where four suspects jumped out of the car and fled.
Police arrived at the scene and assisted by an aircraft conducted a ground and air search for the suspects.
The extensive manhunt led the police to an area of dense desert bush in Al Markh where the four fleeing robbers were taken into custody.
The lone woman driver was also arrested after her car tyre got a puncture.
The woman was discovered wearing a wig to hide her identity. Sharp tools used to break car windows were also found with the suspects at the time of arrest.
