Dubai: Indian billionaire, owner of No. 5 car plate, gets 5 years in jail for money laundering

Dubai: Dubai-based Indian businessman Balvinder Singh Sahni, widely known as ‘Abu Sabah’, has been sentenced to five years in jail on charges of money laundering through a criminal organisation.

Dubai’s Fourth Criminal Court ordered the confiscation of Dh150 million from the billionaire and imposed a fine of Dh500,000. The court also ruled that Sahni – known for scooping car number plate D5 for Dh33 million, which then was the most expensive – be deported following the completion of his jail sentence.
The case, which was transferred from Bur Dubai Police Station to the Public Prosecution on December 18, 2024, involved a total of 33 defendants, including Sahni’s son. The first court session was held on January 9.

Modus operandi
According to the court ruling, the defendants operated a sophisticated money laundering network using shell companies and suspicious financial transactions. Investigations revealed extensive financial data and business links both within the UAE and abroad. The court ordered the seizure of Dh150 million, believed to be laundered funds, along with electronic devices, mobile phones, and documents related to the case.

Some defendants were tried in absentia, while others appeared in court. Several received one-year prison sentences and fines of Dh200,000 each. In addition, three companies implicated in the case were each fined Dh50 million, with orders to confiscate criminal assets under their control.

Sahni is the founder of a property management firm with operations in the UAE, the US, India, and other countries. Known for his high-profile investments and extravagant lifestyle, he garnered public attention in 2016 after purchasing a single-digit car plate ‘D5’ for Dh33 million at a special auction for distinguished number plates.