Robbers used toy gun to pull off heist

Dubai: The suspects who robbed a jewellery store in Wafi City used a plastic gun, the Chief of Dubai Police said yesterday.

Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim said one of the suspects arrested here and who provided logistical support to the gang guided police to the toy shop from where the gang bought the gun.

He said the suspects are from various European countries. This was an attempt to mislead police and prevent them from establishing a link between the suspects.

They met a man here who provided the gang with logistical support such as visas, accommodation and even took them to stores to buy a plastic gun and hammers for the robbery.

"He also took the gang members to an abaya (female Emirati dress) shop after the robbery to hide using abayas. The suspect has confessed to his crime and said he had been to Wafi City twice with the other suspects," Lt Gen Dahi said.

He pointed out that the gang appoints a man in every country to provide logistical support to the gang members.

Lt Gen Dahi described the second man who was also arrested, as the leader of the operation. He came to the UAE for the first time and the gang had given him the keys of a rented car in which they had hidden the stolen jewellery.

Leaving country

"He was assigned to leave the country with the jewellery. However, he was arrested as soon as he sat in the car. After searching the car, police found the jewellery numbering 25 pieces. One of them is worth one million dirhams," the Dubai Police chief said.

Lt Gen Dahi said the criminals are members of international gangs who took advantage of wars in their countries and used passports of dead people after changing the photographs.

He pointed out that one of the gang members has 14 passports.

"Dubai Police had accurate details of the robbery on the third day, while the stolen jewellery was recovered on Saturday," he said.

Lt Gen Dahi said the achievement would not have been possible without the endless support of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, state security teams, CID teams and the Naturalisation and Residency Department which raised a high alert at airports.

Real prices

Brigadier Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Director of Dubai Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said the department enquired about the value of the stolen jewellery after the robbery which was Dh14,780,000, as the shop owners presented the real prices.

"The previous value announced was after adding the price of the jewellery along with the profit," he said.

Brigadier Al Mazeina said official arrest warrants have been sent to specific prosecutions in the European countries, where the other suspects are residing currently, for their extradition.