Dubai Police bust 8-member gang in Dh12m oud theft, woman posed as princess

In less than 12 hours, Dubai Police have dismantled an eight-member criminal gang, including a woman, that stole a luxury oud valued at Dh12 million from a merchant in a highly organised deception involving impersonation, staged luxury arrangements, and a bait-and-switch scheme.

Police arrested four suspects and recovered the stolen oud before it could be disposed of, while issuing an Interpol Red Notice for the remaining four fugitives who fled the country immediately after the crime. Among those still at large is a woman accused of impersonating a princess as part of the elaborate fraud.

Elaborate deception to lure the victim

According to Dubai Police, the crime began when two members of the gang approached a luxury oud trader at a local market. They falsely claimed that a high-profile princess was visiting Dubai and intended to purchase an exceptionally valuable oud.

Convinced by the story, the merchant arranged a large selection of premium oud pieces and agreed to meet the supposed buyer.

The gang escalated the deception by preparing a fully staged villa, complete with private security, formal reception arrangements, and a lavish dinner setting designed to reinforce the illusion of a royal transaction.

The switch during the transaction

Police said the merchant presented the luxury oud at the villa, where the suspects requested it be transferred into different bags described as “more suitable for the princess’s status.” The merchant complied and placed the oud into bags provided by the gang.

A woman later arrived, posed as the princess, and met the merchant to finalise the deal. After she left, the suspects instructed the merchant to wait while the oud was being transferred back into his original bags, claiming they would complete the transaction the next day.

Luxury oud replaced with ordinary wood

During this brief window, the suspects secretly replaced the luxury oud with ordinary wood before returning the bags to the merchant.

The following day, when the merchant attempted to contact them, all phone lines were switched off. Upon opening the bags, he discovered he had been deceived—the valuable oud had been completely replaced with wooden pieces.

Rapid investigation and arrests

The merchant immediately reported the incident to the Command and Control Centre. Dubai Police formed a specialised investigation team that tracked the suspects using advanced surveillance systems, analytical tools, and camera networks.

Within hours, officers arrested four members of the gang and recovered the stolen oud, which had been moved to an apartment in an attempt to conceal it before disposal.

Investigations confirmed that the remaining four suspects, including the woman who impersonated the princess, had already fled the country. Their details were circulated internationally through an Interpol Red Notice as efforts continue to apprehend them.

Dubai Police praised the swift coordination and advanced investigative techniques that led to the rapid resolution of the case and recovery of the stolen property.