Sharjah: A gang of five suspects has been arrested after allegedly conning an Emirati man out of his Dh250,000 four-wheeler, Sharjah Police said on Monday.
Police said they found in the suspects’ possession cheque books of different banks in the UAE, which were allegedly used in the fraud, as well as company stamps, copies of signatures and a counterfeit cash detector.
Complaint filed
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the General Command of Sharjah Police said an Emirati man had lodged a complaint with the Comprehensive Industrial Area Police Station, saying that a person wanted to purchase his 2020 Toyota Landcruiser.
Suspect vanishes
After agreeing on the sale price of Dh250,000, the ‘buyer’ issued a security cheque of the same value in exchange for letting him ‘test drive’ the off-roader for two hours, before he would complete the sale.
Instead, the suspect vanished with the vehicle and switched off his phone.
Moving from place to place
CID director Colonel Omar Ahmad Bu Al Zoud said: “As soon as the complaint was received, the necessary measures were taken. The information, collected within a short period, showed that the gang, consisting of five members of different Arab nationalities, used a place in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah for their meetings. They moved from place to place and used personal contacts to assign tasks and roles.”
Trap set
In coordination with Ras Al Khaimah Police, and taking all legal measures, Sharjah Police set up a trap and arrested all those involved in the case. The stolen vehicle was seized.
The accused confessed to their crime and told police about the financial shares they received according to their agreed roles in the scam.
Based on their confession, the accused have been refereed to public prosecution for further action.
‘Avoid suspicious people’
Col Al Zoud said the quick reporting of the case led to the failure of the gang’s plan and the disposal of the vehicle, in addition to the security coordination with the departments of criminal investigations in the country, which led to the ease of identifying and following up on the suspects, monitoring their movements and arresting them in time.
He called on members of the public to avoid dealing with unidentified persons, and the necessity of requesting their data and proof of their personal identities, especially when buying or selling, so that they do not fall victim to fraudsters.
