Dubai: A documentary on what is believed to be the most successful jewel thieves in the world and the architects of the Dh14.7 million Wafi diamond heist in 2007, was shown at Dubai Police Headquarters on Monday.
The documentary, Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers, was directed by Havana Marking and was made over four years featuring interviews with some members of the Pink Panther gang and associates.
The film also features Dubai Police and its work on the case.
The film was released in 2013 and was shown at over 10 international film festivals, including the Dubai International Film Festival 2013.
The screening was done in the presence of Maj Gen Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Dubai Police Chief.
After the film was shown, Butti Al Falasi, Director of the Department of Security Media at Dubai Police, said that it illustrated the positive role of Dubai Police and the strength of the security system in the UAE. He added that the film also attracted international attention, which put Dubai Police in a positive light.
He added that they showed the film at the Dubai Police General Headquarters so all of Dubai police staff could see the movie. He noted that there are discussions to turn the story of the documentary into an action movie.
The film opens with footage of the Dubai Wafi Mall heist 2007 taken from security cameras that was provided to the director by Dubai Police.
The film is interspersed with footage of Dubai.
Just over an hour into the documentary, the Dubai section of the film starts in the chapter titled “Don’t play with us”.
It shows how Dubai Police worked and collaborated with international forces on the case and how they caught the criminals.
The director of the documentary asks Maj Gen Al Mazeina, who is featured in the film, “if a Panther watches my film, what would be your message to him?” to which he replies, “to be far from this place. Don’t play with us, because we are not playing”.
