Customs inspector stole Dh114,000 from ship

Man confesses in court to stealing money during an inspection at Port Rashid.

DUBAI // A customs inspector confessed to stealing Dh114,500 while inspecting a ship at Port Rashid, the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance heard this morning. 

OA, 27, an Emirati, told the court "Yes, I did it," before submitting a written plea and requesting leniency from the court. 

According to records, OA was inspecting a ship in the port on October 24, 2010, and spotted the cash in a cabin. Seeing no one around, he took it, prosecutors said.

Records said the suspect and his colleague OM boarded the ship to inspect it. OM said he went to inspect the deck while OA entered the cabin. 

OA, who was accompanied by the captain, ordered all crew members to leave him alone in the cabin after he spotted a bag wrapped in plastic, according to records. He opened the bag and took the money, prosecutors said. 

Back in his office, he hid the money under a drawer, prosecutors said. 

A crew member called the police the next day, records said, when he could not find the money. Dubai Police's operations room notified the port police station, which rushed to the ship, records said.

During the investigation, a man told them he had spotted OA leaving with a small bag that he thought may have contained the money, records show. 

Police questioned the suspect and he confessed on the spot, showing them where the money was, records said. 

A verdict is expected on March 14.