Gang ‘stole millions in foreign currency’

DUBAI // Three men and a woman are accused of stealing millions in several currencies, while 11 others are charged with being in possession of the stolen money, a court heard.

Prosecutors told Dubai Criminal Court that the four Nigerians stole 4.8 million Saudi riyals, Dh312,000, 45,000 Qatari riyals, 4.9 million Kuwaiti dinars and 150,000 Pakistani rupees from a sales executive as he tried to exchange the money.

They said some of the money was given to two men, who were charged with possessing money knowing it was from an illegal source, while the other defendants were charged with possessing stolen cash without knowing its source.

The first accused, aged 31, was not present in court to face charges, but his three accomplices, ages 26, 33 and 34, denied the robbery charge.

The others denied knowing the cash was stolen.

Seven of them told the court they had business relations with the four Nigerians and that when the latter brought the cash, the seven thought it was part of payments related to their business deals.

The 34-year-old Afghan sales executive told prosecutors that his employer handed him the money and asked him to fly to Dubai with it.

“I was met by the sponsor’s driver at the airport, then we headed to an exchange house to convert the money to dirhams,” he said.

While at the exchange house, they were attacked and assaulted by four people, one of whom held a meat cleaver.

The thieves got away with the bag containing the millions and the two victims called police immediately. Six days later, they were summoned to the police station to identify the suspects. The four suspects were arrested at their flat in Ajman, where some of the stolen cash was found.

“One of the suspects confessed during questioning that he threw away the Pakistani money in a bin in Ajman while other money was transferred to Nigeria upon orders from the first suspect,” said a policeman.

The money was stolen from a sales executive as he tried to exchange it