Dubai

Three visitors, who hoodwinked a businessman and lured him into a supposedly lucrative gold deal and then embezzled his Dh1.75 million, were jailed for two years each.

The Sri Lankan businessman got acquainted with the three African visitors, two Tanzanians and a Zimbabwean, in Dubai after they had claimed to him that they had a giant company that trades in gold in Tanzania in December 2016.

The businessman was encouraged to do business with the trio, according to records, and flew to Tanzania with one of the visitors and toured the premises of the company that enjoyed an excellent record in the gold business.

Upon his return, the Sri Lankan was convinced and struck a lucrative deal, according to which, he offered to buy 100kg of gold.

The Sri Lankan, thereafter, met up with the visitors in a hotel in Dubai after he had made a bank transfer of around $100,000 but was later told that the telegraphic transfer wasn’t completed and the money was not credited to the company’s bank account.

Records said the trio asked the businessman to give them a cash payment, which he did, and later was told that the telegraphic transfer had been credited later.

The trio offered to sell the businessman more gold with the transferred money but when he signed the agreement with the trio, he never got the gold.

After failing to reach a settlement with the trio, the Sri Lankan businessman reported the matter to the police.

A 45-year-old Zimbabwean and a 34-year-old Tanzanian were apprehended first meanwhile the third suspect, a 58-year-old Tanzanian was apprehended later.

Prosecutors accused the three defendants of swindling the victim and embezzling Dh1.75 million.

The trio pleaded not guilty and refuted the accusations before the Dubai Misdemeanours Court.

However, the court convicted them of deception, swindling and embezzlement and sentenced them to two years in jail each followed by deportation.

According to records, the victim’s friend introduced him to one of the defendants, who invited the businessman to Tanzania to familiarise him with the company. Upon their arrival in Dar Al Salam, another defendant welcomed the businessman on the pretext that he is the company’s marketing manager.

The businessman and the defendants held a meeting during which they agreed to sell him minimum 50kg of gold at a 12 per cent rate lesser than the market price.

During their business meeting, the defendants displayed a 25kg sample of gold to convince the victim into signing the agreement.

The Sri Lankan handed them a down payment and later the defendants asked him for more money as customs fees before he discovered that he had been conned.

The defendants have already appealed their primary judgements and will appear before the Appeals Court soon.