Mechanic admits to stealing 6,000 bullets

HE HAD ACCESS TO STORAGE ROOM OF SHOOTING CLUB

Dubai A mechanic admitted yesterday that he stole 6,000 bullets from a shooting club in Jebel Ali and gave them to a military pilot.

P ro s e c uto r s s a i d t he 32-year-old Pakistani mechanic abused his position to access the shooting club, steal the bullets from the ammunition storage room of one of the shooters in the club and took them in a sports bag.

An Emirati major pilot, O.M., 35, was charged with aiding and abetting the Pakistani.

“I am

guilty. Yes

I stole the bullets,” A.A., 32, was heard telling the Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday.

“I am not guilty,” said O.M. when he defended himself before Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout i n courtroom nine.

Abetment

Accordi ng t o t h e a r - r a i g n ment s h e e t , A. A. stole 5,000 . 22mm bullets and 1 ,000 9mm bullets. O. M. was charged aiding and abetting A.A. and inciting him to steal the bullets.

An Emirati police l i eutenant testi f i ed t h e s h o o t i n g c l u b f i rst t hat

r e - ported to t he Operation Room t h a t t h e b u l l e t s were stolen. “The club’s management discovered t hat 6,000 bullets were missing shortly after they made an i nventory. The mechani c h a d p e r mi s - sion to access the storage room because he worked for a club member.

“We suspected him immediately because he was s potted on t he s urveil - l a nce c a meras enteri ng t he room several t i mes. Police raided his house in Nad Al Sheba and arrested him. Initially he denied stealing the bullets… but later he admitted that he took t he bullets for t he sake of O.M. Police found i n his car 2,000 bullets,” said the f irst lieutenant.

The f irst lieutenant told prosecutors: “O.M. admitted during questioning that A.A. went to his house and gave him a handbag full of bullets.

A present

He claimed that the Pakistani told him it was a present and so he paid him Dh1,000 to help him. The Emirati alleged t hat he gave some of the bullets to his nephew.

Meanwhile, he kept the remaining bullets for training.” Court records said O.M. returned 4,000 bullets to the shooting club.

The trial continues.