Traders incarcerated for vehicle burglary

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

Two traders who broke into an elderly tourist’s vehicle and decamped valuables will spend six months in the dock, a court ruled. The African defendant, 50, and his compatriot colleague, 51, broke into the vehicle of the Saudi victim, 71, in the parking lot a hotel in Naif area on the night of April 3, Naif Police Station records showed.

The defendant used a lever to smash the vehicle’s rear quarter glass. The colleague used the same to break the driver’s door handle. The defendant entered his arm through the hole to open the door from inside.

They made their way into the vehicle and snatched three intercom phones, a vehicle navigation device, a Canon camera and a Canon camera lens, two intercom devices, a house door bell and a mobile phone.

They also stole a bag containing a laptop, a keyboard, a laptop charger, mobile phone earphones and a charger. The victim said they also took his wallet containing 300 Saudi riyals and 200 Bahraini dinars.

They confessed during police interrogations. They also confessed before prosecutors. The Dubai Criminal Court has sentenced them to six months in prison to be followed by deportation.

On the record, the victim said he parked the Toyota Hiace at night and returned to it around 6am on April 4. “I was shocked to find burglars had broken into it and snatched the items and cash,” he complained.

An Emirati police officer said that upon a tipoff, the police operations room dispatched him to the crime scene to investigate the incident. “I met the victim there and listened to his statement,” he explained.

“Our investigations revealed both defendants were behind the burglary. We arrested them inside their hotel room in Dubai. We searched the room and recovered the stolen items. We also seized a T-shaped lever.

“The defendant admitted smashing the vehicle’s glass and his colleague admitted breaking the door handle. They explained how they entered and stole the victim’s belongings.”