Dubai: Four men have been accused of luring a salesman to a massage parlour for a cheap massage, confining him and stealing Dh4,000 from him, a court heard on Wednesday.

The American salesman was walking in Al Rifaa area when four Bangladeshi men stopped him and asked him if he had money for a massage, in September.

Once he was told that the massage cost Dh150, the American bargained with the four men, before he agreed to go with them to a nearby parlour for a Dh100 massage session.

As soon as the quartet and the salesman reached the parlour, the Bangladeshis shouted at the American, forced him into the flat, locked him inside and took away Dh4,000 and a mobile phone from him.

The four Bangladeshis, aged between 24 and 34, left the salesman in the flat and absconded.

The American reported the matter to the police, who arrested the quartet shortly after the incident.

Prosecutors accused the Bangladeshi suspects of kidnapping the salesman, using deception, locking him up in a flat and stealing his cash and phone.

Two suspects entered their pleas when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Wednesday.

Presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi adjourned the case until the other two suspects are presented in court, when it reconvenes on November 7.

One suspect, 24, pleaded guilty and admitted that they locked up the American in the flat and robbed him, but without using force.

Meanwhile, the second suspect, 27, pleaded not guilty and contended that he was not present when the incident happened.

When asked by judge Al Shamsi if the 27-year-old was present, the 24-year-old suspect said: “No.”

The salesman testified to prosecutors that the incident happened after he thought he had gotten himself a cheap massage deal at 1am.

“The suspects accompanied me to a flat, they shouted at me and assaulted me, then stole my cash and mobile and fled. One of them filmed me,” he told prosecutors.

One of the suspects was quoted as telling prosecutors that he gave the salesman’s stolen mobile as a gift to his girlfriend, who didn’t know that it was stolen.