Dubai: A driver, who stole Dh70,000 worth of children’s toys from his workplace and pocketed the profit after selling them at slashed prices in the market, has been jailed for six months.
The 26-year-old Pakistani driver, D.H., secretly copied the key of the warehouses of the toy company for whom he worked in September 2013. Then he drove his pick-up to the warehouse one evening and loaded up the children’s toys and drove off.
He sold the stolen games to another toy company in Deira for half the market price.
“I am not guilty… I did not steal anything,” said D.H. when he entered his plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance that convicted him of theft on Monday.
Presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat said the defendant will be deported following the completion of his jail term.
A business partner in the toy company testified that the accused was commissioned to pick up the toys from the warehouse and distribute them to retailers.
“He was responsible for collecting the sales receipts and handing them over to the company. During an inventory, we discovered that some Dh70,000 worth of toys were missing. We held an investigation, during which it was discovered that some signs of richness started showing on D.H. He had purchased a new car. When we asked, the defendant denied any connection to the missing toys. Later he disappeared and stopped coming to work. We realised that he had stolen the toys and reported him to the police. A labour complaint was also lodged against him,” the partner claimed.
The business partner claimed that he was later informed by the police that the suspect had sold the toys to another company in Deira.
“D.H. called me from inside prison [after his arrest] and confessed that he stole the toys after he copied the warehouse keys,” said the partner.
A businesswoman who manages the company in Deira testified that she purchased the toys at slashed prices after D.H. told her that his company was doing a stock clearance.
Monday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
