Thieves pose as domestic helps, fall into police net

The Sharjah Police have arrested a four-member gang and recovered large quantity of stolen items including gold jewellery worth Dh220,000, which were smuggled outside the country.

The gang comprising two men and two women from Sri Lanka allegedly stole the jewellery, cash, electronic items, mobile phones, watches and other valuables from houses and apartments in various areas of the emirate, the police said. The gang members had sold part of the stolen gold worth Dh120,000 to a jewellery shop in one of the emirates at Dh48,000 and smuggled the rest of the gold and other stolen items to their home country.

The police said the men sent the women members of the gang, who lived in the country illegally, to offer part time domestic helping. Once they entered the houses they duped their employers and made away with precious items. The police received a number of complaints from victims at various police stations in Sharjah, and accordingly a team of CID officers had been formed to arrest the suspects.

The police managed to identify the suspects and locate their accommodations. The suspects were arrested while trying to get forged passports to depart the country. During interrogation, they confessed their crime and said that they sold part of the gold to a jewellery shop without a receipt. The police arrested the shopkeeper on charge of buying stolen items. Based on the confession of the suspects they were all referred to public persecution.

The top police official called on residents not to hire strangers.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com