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2 main suspects in murder case found hiding in a mosque

DUBAI — The Criminal Investigations Department of Umm Al Quwain Police arrested yesterday the two main suspects in the Khaled Al Hamadi murder case from a mosque in the Sharjah industrial area, where they were hiding.

With the arrest of Khalid Ali Murad and Omar Ali Ahmad, the total number of arrests made in the murder case has gone up to 10. Earlier, police arrested Ibrahim Mohammad Nawab, Fahad Ali Hasan and Ali Mohammad Abdullah and five others within hours of the crime. All the suspects are UAE nationals residing in Al Ramla area, and are students in the age group of 15 to 23 years.

Colonel Obaid Hasan Juma’a, Head of UAQ Police, briefing mediapersons about the arrests, said the two had taken shelter in the mosque believing that it was a safe place. They were, however, arrested two days later following a tip-off, with the police forces in Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah, participating actively in the hunt. The suspects had fled to Fujairah after committing the crime, but later shifted to the Sharjah mosque, he said.

Giving a recap of the crime, Major Saeed Mohamad Al Sayah Al Neaimi, Head of Criminal Investigations, Major Abdullah Eisa, Head of the Detection Department and Captain Saeed Obaid, Head of Investigation Teams, said the main suspect was Khalid Ali Murad, who has a criminal record, and is believed to be the gang leader. The gang’s main grouse was that Khaled Al Hamadi, an unemployed emirati who used to live in Al Hamra area, used to frequent their area, which they took it as an affront. The gang of youth decided to take Khaled Al Hamadi on his home ground, and attack him in his own house.

The gang of 10 went to Khaled’s house and knocked on his door. When he came out, they overpowered him, and the two main suspects stabbed him several times, leaving the lifeless body in a pool of blood. The police operations room received a tip-off about the murder at around 9.45 am, and teams rushed to the spot immediately.

While eight members of the gang, all school students, were arrested within three hours of the crime, the two main suspects fled to Fujairah with the aim of getting out of the country. Police in all the emirates were alerted about the duo’s attempt to flee the country. Finally, police managed to track them down to the mosque following a tip-off.

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