Petrol smugglers caught in Dubai jailed for six months

The men were arrested in a high-speed boat chase off UAE coast on July 15

A court ordered the Legal Affairs Department in Dubai to refund Dh20 to a lawyer. The National

A group of men who were caught smuggling petrol in Dubai's waters have been sentenced to six months in prison.

Dubai Criminal Court heard how a UAE patrol vessel was shot at by a boat driven by the men when they attempted to evade arrest on July 15.

The patrol boat was tipped off about nine men who were illegally distributing diesel to other vessels at sea and officers set off to arrest them.

The men’s boat was found pumping diesel to another vessel.

“When they saw us, they pulled the pipes and drove away,” said an Emirati officer.

The men ignored orders to stop and drove at full speed towards Abu Musa, an island 60km off the coast of the UAE.

The patrol vessel then fired two warning shots, followed by a third at the boat's engine.

“When the boat stopped and we approached it, it became clear that the shot had hit a sailor,” the officer said.

An investigation showed the bullet deflected off the boat and hit one of the men, who was taken to hospital.

Five Iranian citizens and four Indian men, aged between 18 and 43, were arrested on board the boat.

They were charged with illegally transporting and supplying flammable materials.

Four of them were also charged for entering the country illegally.

They have been sentenced to six months in prison followed by deportation.

The men were also fined Dh100,000 ($27,220).