Duo poses as policemen, steals Dh9,000 from UAE resident

Abu Dhabi - The defendants accused a man of drinking alcohol without a license, and forced him into their car.

Two men have gone on trial accused of abducting a drunken man after posing as security officers and forcing him to withdraw Dh9,000 from his account from an ATM machine.

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance on Thursday heard that the Asian men found the man -- also an Asian -- on one of the streets in the capital and stopped him after noticing that he was drunk.

The defendants, who pretended to be undercover security agents, accused the man of drinking alcohol without a license.

They allegedly told him to enter into their car and then drove him away.

The man said the Asians later asked him to give them money so they can release him without being charged.

He said the men forced him to go to an ATM machine and he withdrew Dh6,000 and handed it over to him.

They then asked him to give them his ATM card and PIN.

The victim said the men went to the ATM machine and withdrew another Dh3,000 from his account before they left him to go.

The Asian man then went and complained to authorities.

Police investigated the matter and arrested the two men after reviewing CCTV cameras at the ATM machine.

Prosecutors charged the men with posing as security officers and stealing money from from the Asian man.

They both denied the charges when they appeared in court.

The trial was adjourned until August 28.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi