Dubai: Three Pakistani nationals are in court for stealing recharge numbers from prepaid mobile cards worth Dh13,000 in three separate incidents in Dubai.
The suspects were identified as M.Y., 35, A.S., 45, and M.S., 44. A fourth accomplice, M.S., remains at large.
In the first incident, the Pakistani visitors allegedly purchased prepaid mobile cards worth Dh3,000 from the Hi Phone shop at the Mall of the Emirates and returned them after stealing their pin codes using a blade and a hair dryer.
According to court records, three of the suspects visited the shop an hour before iftar time on August 17 and purchased 30 prepaid cards worth Dh3,000. The purchase was made on the condition that the shopkeeper would take them back in case their [the buyers'] sponsor did not want them.
The Pakistanis, who were promptly back an hour later, said they had to return the cards as their sponsor did not want them.
"The cards were properly sealed and the numbers covered," said H.A., the shop salesman.
Subsequently, the cards were sold to other customers who began to call up etisalat and du to complain that the cards were invalid.
On Camera
The next day, the shop also received a call from its Deira City Centre branch saying that three Pakistani nationals bought cards worth Dh5,000 and returned them after stealing the numbers.
All Hi Phone branches were then alerted and pictures of the suspects taken by surveillance cameras were circulated.
The following day, when the suspects visited the Hi Phone branch at the Mirdif City Centre to buy cards worth Dh5,000, they were made to bide their time until the police arrived and arrested them.
The fourth suspect, M.S., who did not visit the shops but helped in stealing the numbers from the cards, has been accused of abetting the crime.
The next hearing in the case is on November 8.
