Ras Al Khaimah: Four Arab women were arrested on the charge of using witchcraft and sorcery with the motive of exploiting men financially. The suspects allegedly collected huge amounts of cash from their victims but the total figure was not revealed pending the conclusion of the investigations.
Colonel Salem Sultan Al Darmaki, head of investigations at the criminal investigation department (CID) of police in Ras Al Khaimah, said the women were apprehended on Thursday after police set up a trap for them.
“An Arab woman complained to the police about the illegal activities of other three women. She herself was arrested as the police suspected her involvement in the activities. The four women were found violating the UAE residency law and practiced witchcraft in an apartment they lived in to dupe men and exploit them,” Col. Al Darmaki said.
A police specialised unit dealt with the case to verify the complaint and succeeded in arresting the head of the group.
“A police informant, a woman, sought an appointment with one of the sorcerers after convincing her that she wanted to work some magic on her husband whom she accused of planning to ditch her for another woman,” a source from the police told Gulf News.
Colonel Al Darmaki said police raided the apartment and arrested the suspects red-handed.
An Emirati man was found in the flat at the time of the arrest with the three Arab women. The police found a large quantity of herbs and other materials used in sorcery rituals. Alcoholic beverages were also found in the flat.
Investigations revealed that the woman who had reported the case to the police had been a member of the group at an earlier stage and split from them because of dispute over the division of the money they made.
The suspects confessed to targeting men.
Col. Al Darmaki urged the public to be alert for such fraudsters and inform police at the earliest. “Witchcraft and sorcery activities are punishable by law,” he said.
