A gang of axe-wielding raiders who stole more than Dh260,000 during an armed robbery on a pair of cash transit security guards have been jailed for a total of 18 years.
The nine Nigerian men, armed with axes, knives and meat cleavers, flattened the tyre of the transport vehicle before ambushing security guards as they left an exchange centre in Al Muhaisna, Dubai.
Dubai Criminal Court heard the robbers attacked the guards and snatched a money box –containing Dh265,000 in cash – before they reached their vehicle.
The incident took place on July 22 of last year.
The exchange centre manager, who witnessed the crime, alerted police through a direct alarm system.
The gang had fled the scene by the time police arrived, leaving only the empty money box behind.
But they were captured on CCTV footage, with eight of the men tracked down in Ajman.
One member of the gang remains at large.
The stolen money was recovered along with the arsenal of weaponry.
During police questioning, the group all claimed the man at large was the mastermind behind the plot.
“They said that he worked as a security guard in the same area and provided them with the location and timing of the money vehicle,” a policeman said.
The eight men each denied a charge of armed robbery but were convicted.
The men were each handed two-year prison terms, to be followed by deportation.
