Dubai: Seven men have been accused of forcibly bringing to a stop a car in which two employees of a trading company were transporting cash belonging to the firm on Dubai-Al Ain road before making a getaway with the collections totalling Dh1.78 million and setting the car ablaze in a bid to erase evidence of the crime.

The general trading company’s two Pakistani employees were said to have collected profits from retail outlets in Al Ain and were on their way back to Dubai when they were waylaid by the seven accused in June. The seven suspects include two Emiratis and five Pakistanis.

Prosecutors accused the Emirati duo, G.M. and A.A., of posing as policemen to force the company’s employees to a halt before assaulting them and driving off with the company’s car with the cash in the vehicle’s trunk.

Prosecutors also charged the five Pakistanis, who are all drivers, of aiding and abetting the Emirati defendants. A.A. was charged with setting the car on fire to wipe out any evidence that could be used against the gang.

The suspects pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.

“I did not pose as policeman or steal anything… but yes I set the car on fire,” A.A. said when he defended himself before presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat in courtroom three.

According to the charges sheet, the Emirati defendants forced the company’s employees to pull over before they forced them into another car. When they failed to open the company car’s trunk to take the money, they drove the vehicle away and opened the trunk by force in collaboration with the five Pakistanis and took away the money.

One of the employees of the trading firm, R.M., testified to prosecutors that they collected the money and put it in the trunk before heading off to Dubai. “The Emirati suspects drove in front of us and asked us to pull over beside Al Fuqaa Police Station. At first we thought that they were policemen as one of them presented what he claimed to be a police identification card. They took my driving licence and registration, then they asked us to move to their car after claiming that they wanted to take us to the police station.

“A.A. took the car key but could not open the trunk. Then he asked me where the money was and ordered me to open the trunk… I claimed to him that it was broken. He punched me on my chest and said they will take us to the police station. We told them that it was fine. A.A. drove our car away, meanwhile G.M. drove us supposedly to the police station,” R.M. told prosecutors.

The other employee of the trading firm, S.H., testified to prosecutors that the Emiratis took them to a petrol station instead of the police station. “We saw the company’s vehicle parked in a petrol station… then they asked us to step out and go to our car. As soon as we went out, both cars took off quickly. Then we reported the matter to the police,” he said.

A police lieutenant testified to prosecutors that the seven suspects were arrested after they were identified based on the car plate number.

Records said the defendants had split the money amongst themselves.

The trial continues.