DUBAI // Three men charged with stealing almost Dh150,000 (US$40,870) worth of gold and silver, including five Sheikh Zayed memorial coins, could face sentences of five years in jail.
A 26-year-old Tunisian car painter, KK, confessed to police that he stole the items from an antiques shop on March 20 with his co-defendants, LI, 42, and BM, 41. KK pleaded guilty at the Dubai Criminal Courts yesterday while LI and BM denied the charges.
According to prosecutors, the men broke into a shop in Deira's Al Murragabat district and stole three Sheikh Zayed memorial gold coins worth Dh22,500, two Sheikh Zayed memorial silver coins worth Dh9,000, a traditional "khinjar" gold dagger worth Dh85,000, and two gold sets worth Dh33,000.
KK was arrested at the garage where he works in Sharjah on March 24 by CID detectives.
In his confession, KK told investigators that LI and BM proposed the robbery.
He said he agreed because he was struggling financially.
He claimed the other defendants asked him to rent a bus as part of their plan.
On the night of the robbery, he said, they parked the bus in front of a window, broke into the shop and drilled into a safe to steal the items.
After the robbery, KK said, he was given Dh1,700 as his share.
The items were not recovered but DNA samples taken from a screwdriver indicated that one of the defendants used it in the robbery.
Presiding Judge El Saeed Bargouth ordered the defendants to remain in custody until the verdicts are handed down on September 8.
amustafa@thenational.ae
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Fanney Khan
Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora
Director: Atul Manjrekar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand
Rating: 2/5
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
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla