Three get five-year jail terms for stealing Dh3.6m

Dubai: Three Pakistanis have been jailed for five years each after a court found them guilty of planning and robbing Dh3.6 million from a security group's armoured vehicle

The Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday jailed 24-year-old M.M., 27-year-old M.S. and 35-year-old R.K., after they were all found guilty of carrying out the heist in Bur Dubai.

Pronouncing Sunday's verdict, Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir said the trio will be deported after completing their punishment.

Prosecutors said M.M., a driver, drove the armoured vehicle behind BurJuman Centre and removed a huge amount of cash from the moneybags before running away with two associates.

M.M. and his associate, M.S., also a driver, admitted in court earlier they stole Dh3.6 million from the armoured vehicle while transporting cash from the mall.

"I am guilty your honour ... I stole the whole amount in cash and walked [to] a runaway car that [was waiting] for me," confessed the 24-year-old at the Dubai Court of First Instance.

Prosecutors accused M.M. of stealing millions from the armoured vehicle.

According to the bill of charges, M.S. and R.K. were charged with aiding and abetting M.M.

When Presiding Judge Mounir asked M.M. about the exact amount he robbed, he said: "I don't know ... I didn't [know] the amount of money when I carried it. The cash was there in front of me ... I just carried as much as my hands could carry and ran away."

Contrary to his associates, R.K. pleaded not guilty.

Public Prosecution records said the money was recovered before it was smuggled outside the country, however, Dh50,000 was missing.