Dubai: Arab man jailed for 3 years, fined Dh247,000 for armed robbery

Khaleej Times

11-07-2025

A 48-year-old man, identified as M.A.K., has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined Dh247,000 for his involvement in a recent armed robbery at a tourism company office in Naif. The Court of Appeal upheld the ruling issued earlier by the Court of First Instance, which also ordered his deportation after serving the jail term.
According to case records, the defendant, an Arab national, was found guilty of collaborating with five others — currently at large — in storming the company's office, detaining two staff members, and stealing cash from the company's safe.
The incident took place in March this year. The company owner reported that a man knocked on his office door, and after the owner opened the door, six individuals forced their way in. The main accused threatened him with a large knife and demanded that he open the safe, while the others assaulted him and another employee.
One of the assailants managed to take the key from the victim and opened the safe, stealing Dh247,000 before fleeing the scene with the rest of the group.
Dubai Police Criminal Investigation Department was able to identify and track the main suspect, who was later arrested in another emirate. During interrogation, the man admitted his role in the robbery and claimed that the remaining suspects, who were of African origin, had coerced him into participating.
The defendant said the group had earlier stolen his mobile phone and personal documents and agreed to return them only if he assisted them in retrieving money allegedly owed by the company for alcohol shipments. He claimed he was asked to wear traditional Emirati attire to avoid suspicion and accompanied the others to the office.
The court rejected the defendant's claims and found him guilty of robbery, unlawful detention, and criminal conspiracy. The verdict was later upheld by the Court of Appeal.