Gang held for forging cheque worth $24M

abu dhabi — A gang of four men has been arrested for forging a cheque worth $24 million (Dh87 million) and trying to deposit it into their bank account, to illegally withdraw money.

The Abu Dhabi Police said the men — including three Arabs and a fourth of a different nationality — had forged the cheque that belonged to a local hospital in UAE and were trying to have the money illegally transferred into their bank account.

Brigadier-General Rashid Mohammed Bourshid, director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Abu Dhabi Police, on Tuesday said that the men were caught when a local bank notified them after establishing that the cheque had been forged by the suspects.

Police said a statement from the bank said the four men had opened up an account with them and tried to deposit a cheque worth $24 million into it.

Then men, however, fled the scene on realising that the authorities had found out that the cheque was fake.

Bourshid said that the CID team investigated the matter and arrested the four men in another emirate. Officers also found a forged cheque book with the men.

The men confessed to forging the cheque and trying to illegally withdraw money from the bank. They told the cops that they wanted to get the money from the bank and share it among themselves.

Police have referred the four suspects to the public prosecution for charges.

Brigadier Bourshid has urged public and private institutions to immediately inform the police if they see anything suspicious, especially regarding bank documents or cheques.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com