Dubai: Two men have been sentenced to five years in jail each for beating a company owner in public and stealing Dh2.8 million he was carrying in a laptop bag.

The Russian duo, 43-year-old M.M. and 35-year-old A.S., shadowed the Chinese man after he withdrew money from an exchange house and then a bank in Naif before they mugged him in September.

In February, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced M.M. and A.S. in absentia to 10 years in jail for using physical violence and robbing the Chinese victim.

The duo turned themselves in and requested a retrial and entered a not guilty plea.

On Thursday, presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat handed the Russian thieves five years in jail each.

They will be deported following the completion of their punishment.

A 39-year-old Tajik woman, Z.A., was earlier jailed for three years for aiding and abetting M.M. and A.S.

Z.A. admitted she kept part of the stolen money.

“I took part of the money from them, but later I gave it to the police. Two weeks before the heist, I accompanied the duo to the man’s place … then they mugged him,” she told the court.

The victim, T.B., said he withdrew Dh2 million from the exchange house and Dh800,000 from the bank before he was mugged.

“My company trades in clothes and shoes. I withdrew the cash and put it in the laptop bag after 2pm. I was near a hotel heading home, when two men took me by surprise and attacked me. They beat me and kicked me. They snatched the bag and ran away. I was not aware they had been tailing me. They caused me several bruises and I couldn’t chase them,” the Chinese said.

A police lieutenant said the duo were seen on CCTV cameras mugging the company owner.

“Primary interrogations revealed the involvement of Z.A. and a fourth suspect [who used to drive the Chinese man to the bank] in the heist. In October, Z.A. and the fourth man were detained at Al Buraimi checkpoint trying to leave the country. Witnesses said Z.A. and the other suspect waited for the Russians in a car during mugging. Police recovered around Dh2 million in Z.A.’s flat in Al Buraimi. Z.A. admitted she informed the absconders that T.B. owns a company and constantly receives money transfers. The fourth suspect denied his involvement in the heist,” claimed the lieutenant.

Records said Z.A. had been sentenced to three years in jail followed by deportation for her involvement in a similar case in which she was accused of aiding and abetting a Dh2 million heist.

The Tajik was said to have participated in the Dh2.8 million heist while she was on bail in the Dh2 million heist case.

Thursday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.