'Abaya man', accomplice get 3 years in jail for robbery in UAE

Sharjah - A team was formed to identify and arrest the perpetrators of the crime.

Two men were sentenced to three years in jail by the Sharjah Criminal Court, for impersonating as a woman and stealing Dh1.8 million.
The court presided by judge Mahmood Abu Baker found one of them guilty for stealing from an apartment in Sharjah after he disguised using a woman's niqab (veil). Before the disguise, he had changed the locks in cooperation with the other man.
A third accused was fined Dh5,000 for hiding Dh875,000 of the stolen money.
On October 12, 2017, the central operations room of the Sharjah Police received a call informing them about the heist. The forensic experts rushed to the site. When they examined the crime scene and carried out the initial probe, it turned out that the apartment had been opened in a very professional way and the criminals had not left any trace of evidence.
A team was formed to identify and arrest the perpetrators of the crime. The team swung into action and zeroed in on one person suspected of having links to the robbery. The second suspect was arrested by the cops within two hours of the incident and part of the money was recovered from him. The Sharjah Police then nabbed the first defendant, who was staying at a hotel in Dubai, with the help of their Dubai counterparts.
The main defendant admitted before the court that he entered the apartment during the day wearing abaya and niqab to steal the money. The 35-year-old Arab disguised himself as a woman and robbed the money from his boss's apartment in Al Taawun area in Sharjah. He entered the flat by opening it with a duplicate key which was given to him by his accomplice, who was also an employee of the same firm.
Following the confession, both the men were charged with theft in Sharjah Criminal Court.
The first accused told the court that the flat's owner, who is also an Arab, had held his passport for four years, and owed him money. He also requested the court to grant him time to arrange a defence lawyer.
The second defendant also admitted his involvement in the robbery but said that he did not enter the apartment and waited outside until it was executed. He added that the Sharjah Police investigators arrested him two hours after the robbery and that he handed over the stolen Dh870,000 to the cops.
The third defendant - to whom the stolen cash was given by the first suspect - said he was unaware that the money was obtained through robbery. He added that the first defendant gave him Dh875,000 to be deposited in a bank.
Based on their confessions, the two accused were referred to the court and were convicted on Monday.
amira@khaleejtimes.com