Gang who stole Dh1m and kidnapped a man in fake gold deal to see out jail terms

Six men who stole Dh1m from a gold merchant and kidnapped his friend will see out their three-year prison sentences.

On January 21, four of the eight men — of various nationalities and aged between 23 and 53-year-old — called the Indian merchant, offering to sell him gold, but the man insisted on meeting to inspect the bars.

Four days later the four defendants met with the merchant and his friend, also Indian, at a hotel in Deira. The merchant went to check on the gold with two of the four defendants while his friend waited with the two remaining men with the money.

Two more of the defendants showed up at the hotel lobby posing as policemen and demanded that the merchant’s friend, 25, accompany them outside. When he obliged, the men forced him into a car and drove him to a construction site.

There the four defendants threatened and robbed the man before fleeing the area.

The merchant told the court that he was first told about the gold deal from a broker whom he often works with and who vouched for the defendants, saying they are his friends and have good quality to sell.

"So they called me and we met," he said, adding that he met with them two times before they agreed to let him inspect the gold bars.
"My friend called me later and told me he was taken away by men, who said they were police officers, and around 15 minutes later he called me again and told me he had been kidnapped and robbed," said the merchant, who reported the incident to police.
Police arrested all six defendants and found the gold bars in their possession to be fake.
At Dubai Criminal Court in November, 2016, the defendants denied charges of kidnap, physical assault and theft.

They were all convicted and sentenced to three years in jail. They appealed their sentences but lost, meaning they will have to serve three years in jail. They will be deported after completing their terms.