Cable thieves must finish jail term, Dubai court rules

The men were locked up for stealing 60 cables worth a total of Dh6,000 from a construction site in Al Warqa after assaulting the security guard.

DUBAI // Three men jailed for three years for stealing electrical cables from a building site must complete their prison terms, Dubai Court of Appeal ruled.

The Pakistanis, aged 25 and 26, were sentenced for stealing 60 cables valued at Dh6,000 from the mosque-construction site in Al Warqa after assaulting the security guard.

About 1am on May 13 this year, they attacked the 44-year-old Indian guard.

“I woke up to a knife on my neck,” said the guard, who was assaulted, gagged and blindfolded.

“I was then carried somewhere else, which I later found was behind our office,” said the victim, adding that when he was able to untie himself he called police.

One of the men was arrested at his home in Sharjah and charged with theft.

“During questioning, he confessed and told us about his accomplices,” said a policeman. The others were arrested shortly afterwards.

At Dubai Criminal Court in September all three admitted stealing the cables.

They will be deported after serving their prison terms.