Dubai: Nine cargo workers were jailed for one year each after a court convicted them of stealing packets containing iPhones, iPads and iPods from Dubai Cargo Village.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the Filipino defendants, aged between 23 and 35, of abusing their office and stealing the consignments from the storage area at the Dubai Cargo Village.
Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad also fined six other Filipino defendants, including two women, Dh2,000 each for possessing the stolen items.
One of the nine accused, 29-year-old J.H., pleaded not guilty while the rest confessed that they stole the consignments.
Investigation
The six charged with possessing stolen items claimed that they did not know that iPhones, iPads and iPods were stolen.
An Emirati supervisor testified that the management noticed that consignments were missing from the storage area.
"Dnata group launched its own investigation by tightening the security and search measures against its workers.
"Extra surveillance cameras were also fixed to monitor the workers. A footage exposed a worker stealing a consignment and handing it to others to sneak it out of the Cargo Village," the supervisor said.
"The suspects took the consignments out of the gates without presenting ownership papers," the supervisor claimed.
Confessed
Prosecution records said the suspects confessed to their charges.
An Emirati policeman said the suspect, R.F., who was the first one to be arrested, revealed how they used to steal consignments and sell the items to people outside the Cargo Village.
The primary verdict remains subject to appeal within 10 days.
