An Iranian businessman is accused of turning his villa into a gambling den that employed two men serving him and seven others who were gambling hundreds of thousands of dirhams.
The 55-year-old is also charged with possessing 71 bottles of alcohol and 12 beer cans for his customers, but he denied all charges at Dubai Criminal Court.
The Iranian and seven others, aged between 30 and 49 and from Lebanon, Russia, Denmark, Iran and Norway, are charged with gambling but the court did not present the charge to them on Tuesday and it did not explain why.
A 21-year-old Russian and an Indian man, 30, are charged with aiding and abetting the businessman by setting up the place and providing services to customers. They also did not face the charge in court.
Police were tipped off about what was going on at the villa in The Springs, Dubai, and so they started investigating.
“We obtained an arrest warrant and raided the place on April 25, where we found all 10 men sitting around an oval playing table,” said an Emirati policeman, 29.
The men, who are all friends, were each arrested and questioned. Police said they admitted that they met from time to time and gambled.
Police seized 20,000 euros and Dh656,000 found in the possession of the defendants at the time of arrest.
The villa’s owner told police that he bought the playing table from Dragonmart, while the chips and other pieces he got from the US.
“He said he had been gambling for 10 years in his home,” said the police officer.
A verdict is expected on August 6.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
