Six Iranians in dock for allegedly kidnapping British expat

Dubai: Six Iranian men have been accused of kidnapping a British national and sending him to Iran.

According to court documents, only three of the suspects are under police custody. The remaining three are on the run. The kidnapping allegedly took place in 2013 and reportedly had political motives.

Records show the men flew in from Iran and rented a villa in Al Baraha area as their base of operation.

They also rented out three cars, which they used to monitor the victim. Last June, the men, aged between 32 and 55, forced the British man into the back seat of the car, before taking him to Sharjah. Court records said he was smuggled out of the country in a cargo ship.

Wife’s testimony

The victim’s wife, 38, told prosecutors that she had never met any of the suspects before.

Police officers apprehended two suspects at Dubai airport several months later while they were waiting for their accomplice, the master mind of the operation, to return to the country.

Police took all three to their Al Baraha villa, where they found credit cards and identification cards belonging to the Briton.

The mastermind later died. Only one suspect appeared in court on Wednesday. The 32 year-old denied the kidnapping charges. The court ordered the other jailed suspects to appear for the next hearing on June 15.