Salesman loses Dhs1.8m to muggers in phony deal

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A salesman lost Dhs1.8 million to muggers during a meeting to purchase phone recharge cards at ‘a very low’ price, a court head on Wednesday.

An Arab visitor, 28, landed at the Dubai Criminal Court on suspicion he with the help of fugitive accomplices stole Dhs1.8m from an Indian salesman, 25, on Aug.13. They posed as CID officers and rained blows on him.

He had carried the money in a bag. They grabbed the bag from him and the defendant hurled it over the balcony. His accomplices picked it from the street and ran away. Prosecutors demanded the toughest penalty.

“I came on a visit visa. The youths accepted that I stay with them. I knew nothing about their intentions. I did not take part in the robbery,” he argued and asked for time to find a lawyer. Hearing continues on Sept.11.

On the record, the salesman learnt from a workmate that there was an Arab man dealing in phone recharge cards. Since the salesman’s workplace was dealing in electronics and recharge cards, he was eager to find a supplier.

The Arab man who turned out to be the defendant was offering recharge cards at attractive prices.

The salesman, his workmate and a compatriot visitor contacted him and he claimed he had cards worth Dhs1.8m.

At around 1:30pm the salesman collected the sum from his employer and went with the others to meet the defendant inside a studio apartment in Frij Murar. There, the defendant asked them to hand him the money.

The salesman refused and insisted he had to first see the cards. All of a sudden, two Arab men stormed the apartment claiming they were from the CID. They beat the salesman. The defendant snatched the bag from him.

The compatriot visitor tried to intervene but the defendant beat him up and threw the bag over the balcony. The gang ran outside. The salesman and his colleagues chased and seized the defendant. The others disappeared with the bag.