Five men accused of raiding spa

Suspects allegedly stole Dh35,000 and 11 mobile phones

Five unemployed men have been accused of storming into a health spa and tying up five Chinese employees along with a customer after stealing Dh35,000 and 11 mobile phones.

The five Bangladeshi suspects, aged between 22 and 27, were said to have forced their way into the spa, attacked the five employees and tied them up with rope.

The defendants are accused of tying up the women, along with a sixth Bangladeshi vic- tim, who had come to the spa for a massage, before they stole the cash and mobile phones.

The five defendants entered an innocent plea when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the defendants unlawfully restricted the Chinese women, aged between 27 and 41, and the Bangladeshi man by tying their arms and legs.

One of the women, 41- yearold S. W., testified that the suspects stormed into the fourthfloor spa in a building in Naif on April 7.

“They tied us all with a plastic rope. They stole from me Dh3,000 and my mobile phone. Then they robbed the others before they kept us roped and absconded. Immediately we freed ourselves and called the police,” said S. W.

Meanwhile the Bangladeshi man claimed that he went to the spa for a therapeutic massage around 9.40am.

“The assailants roped me as well along with the women. They also stole my mobile phone and Dh1,500,” said the man.

An Emirati policeman testified that an informant alerted them that the suspects were present in Hor Al Anz.

“The defendants were arrested in a sting operation. During questioning they confessed that they confined the victims after robbing the spa. The stolen items were seized in the defendants’ possession,” said the policeman.

A judgment will be heard on February 28.