UAE refers nine to court over organised crime plot

ABU DHABI: The Federal Public Prosecution has referred nine Arab nationals to court after investigations revealed their involvement in forming an organised criminal gang that committed a series of grave offences endangering state security, public order, and social peace.

The case was initiated following a report filed through the Public Prosecution’s digital platform ‘My Safe Society’, in which a victim stated that he was kidnapped, indecently assaulted, and filmed while his hands were bound.

Under the directives of the Attorney-General, the Public Prosecution initiated an investigation, gathered evidence, and tasked the Federal Judicial Enforcement Office with conducting the necessary inquiries to identify and apprehend the perpetrators swiftly, while seizing the tools used in committing the crimes.

 Investigations revealed that the defendants lured the victim to one of their residences over a financial dispute, where they assaulted him, tied his hands, and detained him for a week. They forced him into signing debt instruments, filmed him naked, and later disseminated the footage via social media to blackmail his family for money.

The authorities confiscated the vehicle and mobile phones used in committing the crime, containing incriminating footage that proved the gang’s organised and dangerous operations.

The defendants face charges punishable by death or life imprisonment, as their organised criminal activities constitute a threat to state security.

 Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, UAE Attorney General, affirmed that safeguarding the nation’s security and stability is a top national priority that permits no tolerance. He underscored the Public Prosecution’s determination to enforce the law impartially, safeguard lives and property, and ensure that perpetrators of crimes threatening national security or social peace are prosecuted and brought to justice.