Dubai: A gang of four men accused of using force to break into a villa, threatening the security guard with a pistol and stealing expensive watches and goods worth Dh35 million, are on trial, Dubai Court of First Instance heard.

The gang comprising two Emiratis, one Somali and a Yemeni stole 300 expensive watches, jewellery, antiques, a rare Quran, and cheques and documents worth Dh35 million.

When the quartet appeared in the courtroom on Monday, three of them denied the charge of robbery and of threatening the guard while the fourth confessed and told the judge that the other three were his accomplices.

“They were with me in committing the robbery,” the 48-year-old Yemeni defendant told the judge.

According to official records, the incident took place on July 3 this year, when the defendants raided a villa in Al Garhoud area, telling the security guard that they were policemen.

“They were masked and carried two pistols. They tied me and asked me if anybody was inside the villa and then they locked me in a room and one of them guarded the door, threatening me with a pistol. After some hours, they left and I went out and approached a taxi driver for help,” the 24-year-old Pakistani security guard said on record.

The villa belongs to a 40-year-old Emirati businessman who was in detention over a financial case during the time of the robbery.

“I was at the Muraqabbat police station when I came to know about the robbery. The next day, I was escorted to the villa and [found] that the defendants had broken a large safe and stolen the goods,” the businessman said on record.

He claimed that they stole 300 expensive watches worth millions of dirhams.

“I collect expensive and unique watches and they stole 300 of them worth Dh20 million. They even stole antiques and jewellery which I bought from international auctions, including a rare Quran. All of it was worth Dh35 million,” he added.

Dubai Police arrested the four defendants. The case papers did not specify if the goods had been recovered.

The trial has been deferred to next month to allow time for preparing the defence.