Dubai: Two men were jailed for three years each for breaking into the residence of an immigration officer, who was out with his family attending a wedding, and stealing around Dh1 million in cash and valuables.
The Emirati officer had accompanied his wife and children to a wedding ceremony in September and when they returned to their home in Al Warqa they discovered that they had been robbed.
When the wife went up to her bedroom, she discovered that the door had been broken and that the safe was open.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the Chinese duo, aged 31 and 25, of breaking into the house and stealing Dh800,000 in valuables and Dh200,000 in cash.
According to the primary judgement, presiding judge Urfan Omar acquitted the two defendants of resisting arrest and assaulting the police officers who apprehended them.
The duo will be deported after serving their jail terms.
A 36-year-old Chinese suspect was cleared of possessing part of the stolen items due to lack of evidence.
The 31-year-old and 25-year-old defendants admitted that they broke into the villa and stole cash and valuables but denied resisting arrest and beating the policemen.
The immigration officer testified that he discovered he had been robbed at 3am when he and his family returned from the wedding reception.
A police lieutenant said the 31-year-old and the 25-year-old duo resisted arrest ferociously and beat up the policemen.
“We restrained the culprits and took them into custody. During questioning, they admitted that they drove their rented car to Al Warqa area where they looked out for villas to rob. They said that they scaled the villa’s wall, used a crowbar and screwdriver to break into the residence and stole the cash and valuables from safe,” he said.
The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 13 days.
