iPhone Fraud Ring Smashed: Fake Tourists Jailed, Deported
The Criminal Court found that the group entered the country under the guise of tourism but had in fact planned a coordinated operation to fraudulently obtain high-value electronics, including the latest iPhone models.According to the case file, one member of the group would place an order through a delivery app, another would receive the item, and a third would cancel the order while it was still en route — triggering an automatic refund from the platform. In the confusion that followed, the ordered item would be stolen.
The group used fake delivery addresses to avoid detection and moved around in a rental car booked under one of the sisters' names. During each incident, they staged an argument to distract the delivery driver and make off with the goods.
Their plan unravelled when they attempted to collect another phone from a business in Manama using the same tactic. Police, acting on earlier complaints, apprehended the group and found several unopened phones in their possession. Investigators confirmed the suspects had no means to pay for the devices and linked them to similar scams carried out across the city. Though the delivery company later reached a private settlement with the group, the court rejected any withdrawal of the complaint, stating that such agreements have no bearing on criminal liability.
In its ruling, the court said the four had deliberately exploited Bahrain's hospitality, entered with the intent to commit theft, and caused harm to businesses. It stressed that a strong deterrent was necessary in light of the premeditated nature of the offences. The defendants will be deported upon completing their prison terms.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Insider
4 hours ago
- Gulf Insider
Three Arrested For Stealing AC Units From Women's Sports Hall In Oman
The Royal Oman Police announced that three men have been taken into custody in connection with the theft of air-conditioning units from a women's sports hall in Sohar, in Oman's North Al Batinah Governorate. In a statement issued on Sunday, the police said that two of the suspects are Omani citizens and the third is an Arab expatriate. The investigation revealed that the stolen units had been sold to a local shop that deals in the trade and collection of scrap materials. Authorities did not specify how many units were stolen or the value of the goods but noted that legal procedures are under way and that the case will be referred to prosecutors once the initial inquiries are complete. The theft has drawn attention in the local community of Sohar Wilayat, a city known for its growing sports and recreational facilities, where such incidents are rare.
Gulf Insider
15 hours ago
- Gulf Insider
Saudi Poet Sentenced To Life In Kuwait For Citizenship Fraud And Embezzlement
A prominent Saudi poet has been sentenced to life in prison by Kuwait's Criminal Court for forging Kuwaiti citizenship and embezzling public funds, in one of the country's most high-profile fraud cases in recent memory. Presiding judge Abdulwahab Al Muaili also imposed a fine of KD1.79 million (approximately USD 5.8 million) on the defendant and ordered full restitution of the illicit funds. The court concluded that the poet had systematically manipulated official records for decades to illegally obtain Kuwaiti nationality and its accompanying privileges. According to court documents, the defendant acquired Kuwaiti citizenship in 1995 by fraudulently adding himself to the civil file of a deceased citizen. He allegedly renounced his Saudi nationality, assumed a false identity, and secured a forged birth certificate dated 1972 despite having been born in 1961. The fallout from the case extended beyond the individual: the court also ruled to revoke the Kuwaiti nationality of the poet's 27 children, both sons and daughters, since their citizenship was derived from the fraudulent application. Prosecutors revealed that the defendant left Kuwait in 2016, but it wasn't until June 2024 that his Kuwaiti nationality was formally revoked following a lengthy investigation by national authorities
Gulf Insider
5 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Kuwaiti Couple Sentenced To Death For Fatal Abuse Of Domestic Worker
A Kuwaiti criminal court has sentenced a husband and wife to death by hanging for the fatal beating of their domestic worker. The verdict, issued Monday by the Criminal Court under the chairmanship of Judge Abdulwahab Al Muaili, found the couple guilty of unlawful detention, repeated assault with a stick, denial of medical care, and forced labor, acts that ultimately led to the worker's death. According to court documents, the victim, whose nationality was not revealed, was held against her will inside the couple's home, where she endured persistent beatings and was prevented from seeking treatment despite her visibly deteriorating health. Prosecutors said the couple forced her to continue working under duress until she succumbed to her injuries. The court convicted them of assault leading to death, a charge that carries capital punishment in Kuwait. The Public Prosecution had earlier ordered the couple's pre-trial detention for 21 days on suspicion of murder. Following formal charges of premeditated murder, the prosecution called for the maximum penalty, stating that the defendants 'intentionally and repeatedly beat the maid, ultimately causing her death.' This latest case comes against the backdrop of heightened concern over the treatment of migrant domestic workers in Kuwait, concerns that reached a boiling point earlier in 2023 following a separate, highly publicized case involving the rape, murder, and burning of a Filipina worker by a teenage Kuwaiti boy. On January 22, 2023, authorities discovered the burned body of the woman in Salmiya. Forensic investigations revealed that she had been raped, murdered, and set on fire in an attempt to hide the crime. The suspect was a teenage Kuwaiti national, and the victim had reportedly worked in his household. The brutal killing led the Philippine government to impose a temporary ban on sending domestic workers to Kuwait, citing systemic abuse and lack of adequate protection for Filipino laborers.
