Dubai: Bystanders who witnessed a fracas chased two suspects in Naif and overpowered them until police arrived at the scene.
The Operations Room at Dubai Police said they received information on August 10 that a man had been robbed in the Al Nakheel area at noon. The victim, from Ghana, reported that he was on his way to the souq when two young Ethiopian men, kicked him in the leg, held him down and ran away with Dh17,410.
Two Indian men, who witnessed the incident, chased after the suspects and were soon followed by more bystanders who held them down until police arrived. The suspects were aged 26 and 27.
An official at the Anti Crime Department at Dubai Police confirmed that a number of similar robberies had been reported, and that the suspects were also wanted for other robberies.
“This method of robbery occurred in popular areas near souqs and shops, and was carried out by African men. The suspects would monitor the victim and would kick and hold him down, before disappearing into the crowd,” said Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Dubai Police.
One of the most recent robberies that also involved kicking also took place in Naif when one suspect grabbed a victim’s left shoulder and kicked him in the leg. While the first suspect apologised, the second suspect brushed past the victim while stealing his wallet that contained Dh12,000.
Colonel Ahmad Thani Bin Galita, director of the Anti Crime Department, explained that the suspects were arrested the next day with the help of bystanders while they were carrying out a similar robbery.
Another robbery that took place last week in Naif involved an Afghani who was also held down by bystanders
A Pakistani trader had left one of his boxes containing electronic equipment and accessories worth Dh20,000 on the pavement when the suspect, S.P., ran off with it.
