Robber sets up tent at Dubai airport

DUBAI: A tourist-turned-robber erected a tent near a Dubai airport, snatching bags from trolleys of preoccupied travellers, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

The European man, 24, took a Sudanese traveller offguard and snatched a suitcase from his trolley around 10.30pm in June. He retreated to the tent. He later snatched valuables of an Emirati traveller.

From the Sudanese man’s suitcase he landed on a chequebook. He plucked out ive cheques and faked data on three of them showing the Sudanese had issued them in his favour, prosecutors explained.

Since he had landed on the Emirati man’s passport, he issued two cheques in favour of the Emirati. He forged signatures on those cheques. He was planning to impersonate the Emirati and withdraw cash.

During court questioning on Wednesday he admitted the forgery but contended that he was walking around the airport when he came across a bag and picked it. The verdict was set for December 12. In police and prosecution records, the defendant came to the UAE on a 90-day visit visa. It expired. He failed to change his status or depart. He erected a tent within trees beside the airport’s water storage facility.

He survived on snatching whatever he could from belongings of arriving passengers. He was marauding outside Terminal-1 when he spotted the Sudanese man – a sales supervisor – pushing a loaded trolley.

The Sudanese entered a car rental ofice to get a car, leaving the trolley outside the ofice. The defendant made use of the situation to snatch the bag. He retreated with it to his tent and used a spoon to open it.

On another incident, he was marauding when he came across an unattended backpack on a trolley. He turned left and right until he confirmed there was no one near it or keeping an eye on it.

He picked it up and hurried to the tent. It contained an Emirati man’s passport, a Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone and wireless earphones, he explained to police and prosecution interrogators.