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Seven charged with 
Dh1.78m robbery from van transporting money

dubai — The Dubai Public Prosecution has referred a gang of seven people, who allegedly stole Dh1.78 million from a van transporting money after making its driver pull over to the roadside, to the Court of First Instance to stand trial. The gang, comprising two GCC citizens and five Asians, also allegedly set the vehicle on fire before they made off with the booty.

They have been charged with robbery, impersonation and arson.The incident happened in June this year. According to the van driver, who works for a private company in Al Ain, said he collected money from the company’s outlets in Al Ain and was returning to Dubai.

“On the way, two men travelling in a car asked me to pull over to the side claiming they were from the Criminal Investigation Department. As I stopped, one of them produced an identity card which looked like that of the police, and asked me to give him my driving licence and the van’s registration book.

“The two then asked me to get off the van and sit inside their vehicle when they inspected the van. I was stunned when one of them asked me ‘where is the money?’.”

They ordered him to open the rear trunk where the cash was stored. “That raised my suspicion, and I refused to open it.”

One of them then punched the driver in his chest and threatened to take him to the police station. He asked him to give him the van’s key and one of them got inside and drove off while the other claimed he was taking the driver to the police station and made him sit in their car. On the way and before arriving at the police station, he turned the car to a side road and stopped.

There, the driver saw the company van stopped near a petrol station. When he got close, he saw a group of men running away from the van with the money box. The van was on fire.

The CCTV cameras at the petrol station captured the video footage of the suspects and police tracked down the prime suspect, a GCC citizen, and arrested him. He confessed to robbing the money with the help of another GCC citizen. He also told the police about a third suspect, and other accomplices, who planned the crime, monitored the victim and his movements and followed his vehicle.

His and the other GCC citizen’s role was to pose as policemen and make the company driver pull the van over. He also said all of them shared the booty. Police tracked down the other suspects and recovered the whole amount.

salah@khaleejtimes.com