Dubai: Six jobless men have been accused of breaking into a villa and stealing Dh40,000 and 34 valuable items.
The six Sri Lankan men, aged between 27 and 40, were said to have broken into an Emirati man’s villa, while he was on a family’s day out, broke the safe and stole cash, jewellery and gold artefacts in November 2015.
Prosecutors charged the suspects with stealing and causing damages to the villa and other goods.
The suspects pleaded not guilty when they showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Thursday.
According to the charges, prosecutors said the suspects used a crowbar to enter the villa and steal Dh40,000, jewellery, gold and silver bracelets and precious stones.
They also wrecked the bedroom, kitchen and safe in the villa in Al Qouz.
The Emirati villa owner claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened on a Saturday when he took his family to spend a day out in Dubai.
“When we returned home at 11pm, we discovered that a thief or more had broken into our villa and stole our valuables. I also found the safe, where we had kept the valuables, broken as well,” he told prosecutors.
A police lieutenant told prosecutors that the claimant provided them with a list of 34 items that were stolen.
“Primary interrogations revealed that the suspects had been involved in the heist. The six Sri Lankans were arrested. During questioning, they all confessed that they broke into the villa after they broke down the kitchen door … then they broke the safe and stole the valuables,” the lieutenant testified to prosecutors.
Presiding judge Urfan Omar will hand out a ruling on November 28.
