Dubai: Man robbed of Dh108,000 after responding to fake social media ad

Dubai - He was threatened with swords, hammers and knives.

A 42-year-old African expat in Dubai - who robbed an Arab employee of Dh108,000 at knifepoint - was sentenced to six months in jail and fined the same amount he stole.

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The victim met the African man after responding to a social media ad offering luxury watches at a much cheaper price; however, the post turned out to be fake, according to records of the Dubai Court of First Instance. The case dates back to February this year.

On the day when he was supposed to get the ‘watch’ he wanted to buy, the victim was lured into an alley between some villas in Jumeirah. Then, the convict - along with his gang - beat him up and threatened him with swords, hammers and knives. They also attacked him with a pepper spray, court records show.

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The gang was able to snatch the Dh108,000 cash the victim was carrying, along with the key to his luxury car. They then climbed into a vehicle and fled.

A man who lives in one of the villas in the area stood as a witness for the case. He told the authorities that he heard the sound of an attack on that day and when he checked what was happening outside his home, he saw a group ganging up on a person.

The witness managed to take note of the number plate of the gang’s getaway vehicle.

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A police officer said they were able to identify the convict through the evidence they had gathered. “He admitted that another man of the same nationality had asked him to lure the victim into some place in Jumeirah. He said the others assaulted the man and, after the crime, he was asked to transport them to a neighbouring emirate for Dh4,000,” the cop said.

The convict will be deported after serving his jail term, the court ruled, while the other members of the gang are still on the loose.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai