Gang of 16 bootleggers jailed for murder after fatal turf-war fight in car park

A gang of 16 men has been jailed for murder following a fight between two gangs in which one person died and another left with serious injuries.

Dubai Criminal Court sentenced the Chinese men, aged between 19 and 47, to seven years in jail, followed by deportation.

The car park brawl, which lasted about 10 minutes, was captured on video by a tenant in a flat that overlooked the site. Dozens of men gathered at 9pm on March 23 last year, armed with axes and metal bars. After the fight, some gang members dragged two severely injured men into a car before fleeing the scene.

A witness called police and an ambulance to International City, where they found the two men in a car.

“One was already dead and the other barely alive,” said an Emirati police lieutenant.

He said there was blood all over the car park and officers found an axe, a sword and a metal bar with a point at one end.

The tenant’s video helped police to identify 19 members of the two gangs, but only 16 arrests were made.

One of the three at large had fled to Oman.

During police questioning, several of the men confessed to taking part in the fight over bootlegging turf.

Witnesses testified to seeing many Chinese men arriving in cars, then loud noises and screams were heard around the neighbourhood.

“I was on the balcony when I saw several cars arrive and a large number of Chinese men armed with axes and bars stepping out,” said the Egyptian who filmed the altercation.

A Yemeni who was having dinner at a nearby restaurant told prosecutors that he heard screams and when he went to check, he saw the fight.

“They were all armed and almost all of them were covered in blood,” the Yemeni said.

Police said some of the men had tried to hide out in mountains in Fujairah but were arrested after a joint operation with that emirate’s force.

The 16 who appeared in court denied charges of murder and physical assault that caused injuries, but all were convicted and sentenced.

Two of the three who remain at large were sentenced in their absence to a year in jail for physical assault.

If they are tracked down, they will be deported after serving their sentence.

They were also fined Dh10,000 each.

The last defendant was referred to the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours on a charge of possessing alcohol to sell.

Police said the site of the fighting was awash with blood and two men were found in a car