Fake police director cited in street robbery

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A fake police department director ganged up with three countrymen to mug a man found at an area frequented by illegal hawkers.

The Asian driver, 29, posed as the director of a department at a police general department of criminal investigations. He, his colleague, 37, a businessman, 37, and watchman, 35, targeted the Bangladeshi labourer, 37.

The driver was wearing Emirati attire and spoke to the victim in Arabic to cement his claim that he was a senior police officer. He demanded the victim to hand over his ID to examine his criminal status. He photographed it.

They restrained the victim, battered him and shoved him inside a getaway vehicle while claiming they were taking him to the department. They robbed him of his Dhs1, 600. This happened on February 20 last year.

He complained to the Bur Dubai Police Station. They were indicted on May 14 this year. The Dubai Criminal Court has found them guilty and ordered them to spend one year in the dock after which they will be deported.

The labourer complained that he was standing at street in Al Quoz Industrial Area-3 when an SUV stopped by him. The businessman, watchman and the driver’s colleague grabbed, beat and forced him inside the vehicle.

He tried to resist and even tried opening its doors to escape but they were locked. The driver who was wearing a Kandura and a Ghutra posed as a senior police officer and started examining the victim’s identity card. He told me not to return to Al Quoz again,” said the victim, adding that the colleague reiterated that the driver was a director at the CID. “They asked me to give them money. I surrendered Dhs1, 600. I was very scared.”

A Bangladeshi pedestrian who happened to be at the scene said he was walking out of a mosque when he saw four men seizing the victim. “One of them beat him. They entered him in a vehicle. I provided its number to police.”

A Pakistani corporal testified that the labourer cried as he explained the kidnap and assault ordeal. A Yemeni corporal said the driver confessed and said the street robbery was masterminded by his colleague.

He said his colleague summoned him to a spot where hawkers sold vegetables along the street. He went there in his sponsor’s vehicle. The colleague told him to head to the victim. The colleague seized and battered him. People gathered. The driver told them he was a CID officer. They sped off with the labourer.