Man jailed for impersonating woman, robbing bank in UAE

Sharjah - As part of a gang that carried out the armed robbery.

Three Arabs - including one who impersonated a woman by wearing a abaya - were sentenced to 15 years in jail and Dh50,000 fine each for their role in robbing a bank in Sharjah.
A fourth man, an African national, was sentenced to life in jail.
They will all be deported after serving their terms.
The gang was charged with armed robbery from a bank in Al Majaz 2 in Sharjah.

The armed men managed to grab cash after they threatened the staff and a number of customers present at the bank during the moment of the attack on June 25.

Sharjah Police were alerted of the incident and immediately dispatched officials to the scene. The masked men had managed to execute their theft plan in a few minutes and had left the bank. The police launched an investigation based on pieces of information provided by the staff of the bank and other eyewitnesses. They also monitored the CCTV cameras and managed to identify the nationalities of the perpetrators.
The judiciary presided by judge Mahmood Abu baker confronted three Arabs who attended the court hearing, they denied the charges. The African national was absent during the court process.
The court confronted the third defendant, whose involvement in the robbery included impersonating as a woman wearing abaya and shaila. He denied and pleaded not guilty.
A witness testified that she was in the bank when the robbers entered, wearing women's attire and carrying a sunshade while two other men came in wearing helmets.
One stood by her while the other jumped on the counter, threatening her with a knife. She resisted their demands to give them the secret passcode and spat hot coffee in their faces before blacking out.  
amira@khaleejtimes.com 

• Sharjah