Appeals Court lessens burglars' prison term

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

Four men who shattered a company’s façade with a rock, broke drawers and decamped with cash have convinced the Appeals Court to lessen their prison term.

The Asian defendant, 32, and his aide, 29, with the help of two accomplices, 30s, targeted the technical tools company in Ras Al Khor on the night of May 26 last year, prosecutors explained on June 9.

After confirming there was no passersby on the surrounding streets, they smashed the glass façade with a rock. The defendant and his aide broke drawers using scissors, a crowbar, hammer and screwdriver.

The accomplices remained outside monitoring the streets, according to investigation records at the Rashidiyah Police Station.  Prosecutors demanded they be handed a tough punishment.

The Dubai Criminal Court imprisoned them for one year plus deportation. They appealed for leniency. The Appeals Court has commuted the one year prison term to six months.

The complainant, an Indian businessman, 62, said the robbery was discovered by his employees who found a hole in the glass façade. “Dhs26, 173 was stolen from the cashier’s drawers,” he complained.

An Emirati lieutenant said a source alerted them the quartet was implicated. Investigations revealed they were serial burglars. They were arrested by Sharjah Police on Jun.5 over a spate of burglaries there.

During CID interrogations, the defendant revealed they were strolling in Ras Al Khor at night when they devised a plan to break into trading stores. They arranged burglary tools to break door locks and drawers.  They smashed the façade with a rock. After the burglary, they took a taxi to their residence in Sharjah where they shared the loot equally. Each one received Dhs6, 500. He spent his share on meeting his needs.

His aide denied having taken part.  The first accomplice confessed before the police that he took part in keeping a watch and that he also received a Dhs6, 500 cut. The second accomplice denied.

Further investigations revealed the quartet was the same wanted gang who broke into another company in Naif area.