Jewellery shop employee 'stole Dh4m in his lunchbox'

Employee stole gold filings over a period of two years, court hears.

DUBAI // A jewellery shop employee stole more than Dh4 million in gold filings by hiding small amounts in his lunch box every day for two years, a court heard today.

Prosecutors told the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance that RR, a 33-year-old from the Philippines, had stolen 30 kilograms of gold filings from the shop between September 2009 and September 2011, when he was employed there as an assistant technician.

An audit at the company uncovered the shortfall and the manager reported the matter to police.

The employee admitted to the court that he had stolen some of the gold, but not the amount prosecutors claim. He told investigating officers at the time of his arrest that he had been stealing them for two months - not two years.

An Emirati police officer told the court the employee had been selling the filings to another gold shop and that when police arrested him there were filings in his lunch box.

Prosecutors said the employee had transferred some of the money he made from the sales and that transfer receipts were found in his apartment.

The next hearing will be on April 16.