Couple arrested in Dubai for killing and robbing Dh1.2m

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Couple arrested in Dubai for killing and robbing Dh1.2m

The police team identified the suspect after seeing a glimpse of his face in the footages recorded by the building’s CCTV cameras.

By Amira Agarib/principal Correspondent

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Published: Thu 11 Jun 2015, 2:03 AM

Last updated: Wed 8 Jul 2015, 2:49 PM

Dubai — The Dubai Police have arrested an Algerian for allegedly murdering a Chinese man and robbing a bag which contained Dh1.20 million that the Chinese was to deposit in a bank. The suspect was arrested from the Hatta border as he was fleeing the country. His wife, who was accompanied by their two children, was arrested from the Dubai International Airport with a part of the robbed money, said the police.

Major-General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for Criminal Investigation, said the murder was reported on May 4 around 5pm. The body was found in the lift of a high-rise in Naif area where the deceased’s employer lives. His bicycle was also found next to the body. The deceased was hit on the head with a heavy object and had stab wounds in the chest and stomach.

The deceased, 21, used to work as a messenger for a Dubai-based company. The company’s owner told the police that the deceased had been working for him for more than a year.

On the day of the murder, the owner gave a bag containing Dh1.20 million to the deceased and told him to deposit it in the bank. On failing to get an intimation from the bank that the amount had been deposited, the owner started getting worried. His repeated phone calls also went unanswered.

It was then that his wife informed him that there were police patrols outside the building. He rushed to the ground floor, where he learnt about the murder.

Maj-Gen Al Mansouri said a police team was formed to investigate the crime. The team identified the suspect after seeing a glimpse of his face in the footages recorded by the building’s CCTV cameras.

The police discovered that the suspect was living in a hotel with his wife in Port Saeed area. The police rushed to the hotel, only to be informed that the couple had left.

On June 5, a police team assigned to monitor the airport arrested the suspect’s wife, who was leaving for Algeria. On searching her luggage, the police found Dh63,280 and 187,000 Algerian dinars. She reportedly told the police that her husband told her to give a part of the robbed money to a compatriot, A.A., who worked in a company near Al Maktoum road.

The police rushed to the company and seized Dh317,000 from A.A.

The police learnt that the main suspect was planning to flee the country via the Hatta border. The police managed to arrested him and recovered Dh200,000 from him. He was dressed in the traditional GCC attire.

CCTV footages showed that the suspect monitored the deceased’s movements for three days. On the day of the murder, the suspect is seen following the deceased into a supermarket and then to the lift. He is seen entering the lift along with the deceased. In the footages, the suspect is seen running out after apparently committing the murder.

The police managed to identify the suspect despite a “big difference” between his passport photograph and images captured by the CCTV cameras.

The suspect has a valid UAE visa and routinely brought his wife and children over on visit visas.

He reportedly confessed to the police that he committed the murder.

Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, praised the Criminal Investigation Department team for their “swift action that led to the arrests”.

He said the deceased’s family will arrive in Dubai today to receive the body.

He called on companies operating in Dubai to contract specialised security companies to transport money.

amira@khaleejtimes.com


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