Dubai The Police Criminal Investigation Department has warned residents against resorting to so-called sorcerers.
Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, said an Emirati woman filed a report against a self-proclaimed sorcerer she visited for a headache cure.
On her first visit the woman gave her a herbal blend for Dh3,000. On subsequent visits the price went up to Dh5,000, then Dh14,000.
She informed the police, who sent a policewoman masquerading as a patient. The police woman was asked for Dh14,000 for incense and herbs, and the accused sorcerer was arrested after she accepted the money, police said.
Brig Al Mansouri said the 50-year-old woman was convicted in absentia of similar charges in 2008 and was sentenced to jail and deportation. In 2011, there were 11 sorcery cases against 10 in 2010, he said, adding that most victims do not report cases.
Victim travelled from Bahrain
In a separate case, a woman came from Bahrain to seek help from an African sorcerer after her husband left her for another woman.
Instead, the self-proclaimed sorcerer threatened to make her very ill if she did not pay him. After losing huge sums of money she reported him, and he was arrested in February.
Earlier, an Arab student was arrested for trying to sell online products he claimed had magic powers.
Brig Al Mansouri said most victims in sorcery cases were Arab women, because many believed that using black magic would help them attract men, bring back husbands, to conceive or even to heal ailments.
“Unless we catch a sorcerer red-handed, it would be very hard to take him to court, as deciding on the court of jurisdiction, whether it was the court of misdemeanour of the court of first instance, as well as deciding on the charges, is very hard,” Brig Al Mansouri said.
