Khaleej Times

Pilot robbed after being lured into a date by gang

- COURT ROUND-UP Marie Nammour mary@khaleejtim­es.com

She locked the door and I was attacked by four men and four women. They all punched and slapped me.”

The complainan­t

dubai — A 26-year-old man allegedly posed as an ‘American woman’ to lure a pilot for a date, before his gang assaulted and robbed the latter, a Dubai court has heard.

The Dubai Court of First Instance heard that the Nigerian accused and his gang stripped the complainan­t naked and threatened him with a hot iron, before withdrawin­g Dh19,454 from his bank cards.

The case dates back to June 4 and was registered at Bur Dubai police station.

The complainan­t, a 47-yearold Turkish pilot, said he met a ‘woman’ on WhatsApp. “She introduced herself as an American and invited me to have a cup of tea with her.”

When he went to meet her, a woman opened the door for him. “When I asked her about the woman I was supposed to meet, I was told she was inside, waiting for me. She locked the door and I was attacked by four men and four women. They all punched and slapped me and undressed me. They snatched my mobile phone.”

The complainan­t said he revealed his bank card PIN after one of the women “threatened to burn me” with a hot iron. They fled the scene after withdrawin­g cash from his account.

“They kept me in a room as they left the flat. When I felt they were gone, I went out for help and lodged a complaint at the police station.”

The complainan­t identified four members of the gang that assaulted and robbed him. The four accused reportedly admitted they had planned to rob the complainan­t by luring him into their apartment.

The other accomplice­s, who had been convicted, were sentenced to three years in jail each and deportatio­n.

The defendant is in detention, awaiting a ruling that will be handed down on November 30.

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