Five bogus CID officers on trial over theft

Dubai - They also allegedly damaged a couch and drawers in the complainants' flat. The damage was estimated at Dh2,500.

 Five men have stood trial at a Dubai court on charges of impersonating police officers, theft and trespass.
Prosecution records show the defendants - two Bangladeshis, two Iranians and an Emirati - barged into a flat where three men stayed. They made away with eight mobile phones, two laptops and Dh7,500 in cash after posing as Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers.
They also allegedly damaged a couch and drawers in the complainants' flat. The damage was estimated at Dh2,500.
They pleaded not guilty at the Court of First Instance. The incident was reported on June 28 to Jebel Ali police.
One of the complainants, a Bangladeshi cook, said the incident took place at 6pm when he heard a knock on the door. "The moment I opened the door, a man (one of the defendants) pushed it and barged inside with other men," the 30-year-old cook said.
The men posed as CID officers and asked for the residents' IDs. "When I asked whether they had documents proving they were cops, one of them slapped me. They tied us up with plastic straps and put us in the bathroom."
They left about half an hour later. "We found the place in mess. We checked our belongings and found they stole our phones and cash," the cook told the prosecutor.
The trial has been adjourned to November 17.
mary@khaleejtimes.com