Trio get jail terms for stealing sportswear

Dubai: Three men were jailed for terms ranging between three and six months for stealing 12,420 sportswear outfits worth Dh300,000 from a trading company and reselling these at a reduced price.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the three defendants of theft, aiding and abetting the crime, and possessing stolen items.

Prosecutors charged the 27-year-old Pakistani salesman, M.Q., of stealing the sportswear outfits from the trading company where he worked. G.K., a 32-year-old Afghan driver, was charged with aiding and abetting M.Q. by transporting the stolen items to 46-year-old Indian businessman A.B. The latter was accused of possessing the stolen outfits.

M.Q. was sentenced to six months in jail followed by deportation. A.B. was jailed for six months while G.K. was sentenced in absentia to three months in jail. M.Q. and G.K. pleaded not guilty.

An Iranian store supervisor testified that one of the shopkeepers informed him that the warehouse's gate had been left unlocked and that sportswear outfits were stolen.

"The shopkeeper informed me over the phone that the warehouse in Al Ghusais had been broken into and robbed. When I reached the warehouse, I realised that the lock had gone and the door was left open. A 120 boxes that contained nearly 12,420 outfits were missing. The boxes were stacked near the back door.

"The culprits also stole five huge bags that contained sportswear outfits," the store supervisor claimed.

Yesterday's judgement remains subject to appeal within 15 days.