Sharjah Police recover stolen amber prayer beads worth over $100,000 within 24 hours

Sharjah Police have arrested two suspects and recovered a collection of amber prayer beads worth more than $100,000 within 24 hours of receiving a theft report, police said on Tuesday.

The case began when a Chinese national reported that his valuable collection had been stolen after he advertised the prayer beads for sale on social media.

Police said a person contacted the seller claiming to be interested in buying the entire collection and arranged to inspect the items. The victim was then lured to a location in Sharjah, where the suspects allegedly deceived him into handing over the prayer beads before fleeing.

Brigadier Dr Khalifa Al Hay, Director of the Criminal Investigations Department at Sharjah Police, said specialised teams immediately launched an investigation after receiving the report.

Investigators gathered evidence, analysed available data and used security technology to identify the suspects and track their movements.

The investigation led police to locate the two suspects in a neighbouring emirate. Sharjah Police coordinated with security authorities there before arresting them and recovering the entire collection in less than 24 hours.

Police said the operation demonstrated the readiness of its criminal investigation teams and the role of modern technology, intelligence and data analysis in rapidly solving crimes.

Sharjah Police also warned people buying or selling valuable goods through social media to exercise caution when dealing with strangers.

The force urged sellers and buyers to verify the identity of people they deal with and to conduct transactions in safe and official locations.