Dubai: Two security guards have been accused of stealing diamonds worth nearly Dh900,000 from a $1 million (Dh3.67 million) consignment that was bound for Belgium.
The security guards, a 26-year-old Kenyan and a 27-year-old Ugandan, were said to have abused their position at a prominent Dubai-based security company and stolen one of the 16 bags of diamonds.
A company, which specialises in importing and exporting diamonds, hired the security company to export a consignment of around 1,900 carat diamonds according to prosecution records.
Prosecution records said an Indian executive told the police that her company hired the security company to export 16 bags of diamonds to Belgium.
“My company’s representative went to pick up the diamond consignment from the Belgium customs when it was discovered that 396 carat diamonds were missing,” said the Indian executive.
"The consignment was received with one bag missing. I reported the security company. Our surveillance cameras showed that the security guards acted suspiciously when they came to collect the 16 bags. The building’s security cameras also showed the suspects spending nearly eight minutes in the washroom before they left."
Prosecutors charged the suspects, 26-year-old B.G. and 27-year-old F.W., with breach the trust of their company and stealing the diamonds.
When the defendants appeared before the Dubai Misdemeanour Court, they entered an innocent plea.
Meanwhile the import/export company’s lawyer Ali Abdullah Al Shamsi said before the court that his clients are taking civil action against the defendants.
“My clients suffered a loss following this incident. The footage taken from surveillance cameras has unveiled the defendants’ involvement in the heist. We will be seeking compensation against the accrued damages,” Al Shamsi argued before presiding judge Mohammad Shawqi.
The security company’s Pakistani investigations’ director testified: “Our client informed us that the consignment arrived in Belgium with a bag missing. Our records showed that B.G. and F.W. were the staff who collected the 16 bags. I checked the surveillance camera footage that showed the Ugandan and Kenyan manipulating with the special security tape used to wrap the diamond bags. We informed the police and handed them the defendants.”
Prosecution records cited the defendants denying their involvement in the heist.
F.W. told prosecutors: “We collected the 16 bags and placed them inside a huge special bag that we sealed with plastic chains. Then we filled the requested forms and went to our company. We did not know what was inside the consignment and we handed the huge bag to our supervisors and left. We did not steal anything.”
B.G. confirmed F.W.’s statement.
The trial continues.
