Gang caught after Dh2 million crime spree, say Dubai Police

Dubai: Members of organised crime have been arrested after going on a Dh2 million crime spree across Dubai, said Commander in Chief of Dubai Police Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim.

Three members of organised crime of Eastern European nationality are in custody, he said.

Lieutentant General Dahi said the gang members used to burgle villas and luxury apartments in different parts of Dubai and in other emirates. He said the suspects arrived in Dubai in late April, went to a hotel in Deira and rented a car.

“They rented a car to use while executing their crimes,” he said.

He said the defendants wasted no time getting to ‘work’, committing burglaries across Dubai over a two-week period.

“Police arrested the criminals within 24 hours after the police received robbery complaints from the victims,” he said.

Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director General, Department of Criminal Investigation of Dubai Police (CID), said that the gang started robbing villas in Deira and soon after similar thefts took place in Naif area.

Al Mansouri said CID teams and undercover police monitored the targeted areas.

Through the course of research and investigation and collecting evidence, police were led to important information suggesting that the culprits were involved in thefts, travelled in a car belonging to a car rental and were staying in a hotel in Deira.

It was the group’s first visit to the UAE.

Colonel Salem Khalifa Al Rumaithi, Deputy Director of the General Department of Investigations for Research, said the gang members were arrested while leaving the hotel to commit another crime.

“The gang members were seen leaving the hotel and holding medium sized bags which they threw inside a garbage container outside the building when they saw police,” he said.

He added that the bags contained burglary tools used in the offences.

“The gang was arrested after their desperate attempt to resist the police,” he said.

Colonel Al Rumaithi said after getting permission from the public prosecution to inspect the car, police found inside the gang member’ suitcases already packed, a find that suggested they were planning to leave the country on the evening of the same day they were arrested.

“Inside their luggage, police found stolen jewellery and gold with an estimated worth about Dh2 million.

Colonel Al Rumaithi said that all three defendants confessed to their crimes of robbing apartments at Al Rafaa and Muraqqabat.

The suspects have been referred to the public prosecution for further investigation.

Colonel Saeed Suhail Al Ayala, Director of Criminal Investigation, said that the occurrence of such crimes happened due to the negligence of some residents in apartments who keep valuables at home.

People should not keep a huge amount of gold in their home, he said.