Licence plate theft charges land tourist in court

German charged with prying off plates from hotel guest's vehicle in Dubai.

DUBAI // A German tourist stole a licence plate from a car at a Dubai hotel, telling police it was his hobby, a court heard this morning.

NG, 47, confessed to Jebel Ali police officers that he stole the plate on the morning of June 4 at the car park of the Movenpick Hotel near Ibn Batouta Mall, then placed it in his rental car. But he denied the charges this morning at the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours.

The Abu Dhabi-issued plate belonged to LA, 37, an Emirati housewife who had been staying at the hotel since June 1. She reported her front plate missing when she was checking out on the afternoon of June 4.

LA said that when she parked her Audi Q5 it had both the front and rear plates. But when she got the car from the valet, it was missing the front plate, and she told hotel management.

Records said the checked footage from its surveillance cameras and provided police with printed images that clearly showed a man kneeling before the vehicle, breaking the plate loose, then carrying it away facing the cameras.

When LA called police, they checked the images and arrested NG in the hotel lobby the same day.

During prosecution investigations, NG allegedly said taking car plates was his hobby, despite knowing it was illegal.

The next hearing will be on July 27.