Dubai: 5 men jailed for robbing villa while family was away on vacation
The Dubai Criminal Court found the men guilty of theft after reviewing evidence that they entered the country on visit visas and carried out the burglary while the homeowners were travelling abroad.
The incident occurred in March when a European woman reported to the police that she had returned home with her family to find the front door of her villa unlocked and the contents of the house in disarray.
According to the case file, the woman discovered that a safe containing foreign currencies, gold ornaments, expensive watches, and personal documents had been stolen. The burglars also took cheques and 10 old mobile phones that her husband had collected.
A police officer involved in the investigation said a team from the Criminal Investigation Department was able to identify the suspects through surveillance footage and rental vehicle records. The car used in the crime had been leased by one of the suspects, and the group was traced to a rented apartment in another emirate.
Authorities arrested the men and recovered the stolen items in their possession. The court handed down the three-year prison term and ordered that all five defendants be deported upon completion of their sentences.
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