They would lure victims and offer to exchange money at attractive rates, before robbing them and fleeing the scene
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Four Arabs were arrested for committing fraud, offering to exchange dirhams for dollars at attractive rates and then robbing customers.
A victim filed a report at a police station, saying that he had been robbed near a hotel in Deira. He said that he had responding to a Facebook post offering currency exchange at lower rates – $10,000 for Dh10,000. He agreed to meet with the accused at a parking lot opposite a hotel in Deira.
One of the accused came to his car. He threw a bundle of counterfeit dollars in the passenger seat, grabbed Dh10,000 from the victim and fled between the cars. The victim tried to catch him but was unsuccessful.
The police conducted an investigation and found four suspects, all of whom were arrested.
During the interrogation, one of the suspects admitted that he came to the country a year ago in a visit visa and joined a gang of his nationality, who worked for a leader living in their home country.
The second suspect said that the gang committed fraud, luring victims with attractive exchange rates. He said that his role was to watch out for the police while one of the others delivered the counterfeit money and robbed the victim. He said that after the victim was robbed, he would flee along with the others and each would get Dh500.
The third suspect said that the mastermind behind the crimes was the leader, who resides outside the UAE. He manages operations, lures victims online, and assigns jobs to the other gang members. He does this through his compatriot inside the country. The suspect added that all gang members are present at the scene of the crime to intervene if there is a problem, even though only one carries out the actual theft.
The Criminal Court in Dubai sentenced the four to three months in prison followed by deportation. Each of them have been fined Dh10,000.
