Six held over theft of Dh51,500 from bank customer

The men would slash the tyres of bank customers then steal money from their cars when victims got out to investigate, prosecutors say

A gang accused of stealing Dh51,500 from a man on his way out of a bank has been arrested in Dubai.

Prosecutors said the six-member gang, of Asian origin, rented a car using a forged passport and would stake out banks looking for customers and employees who appeared to be carrying envelopes or briefcases containing cash.

The men would use a small knife and two screwdrivers to slash the tyres of customers while they were in the bank, prosecutors said.

The customers would return to their cars with their money and try to drive away before realising their car tyre was flat.

Prosecutors said the gang would wait until the customer got out of their vehicle to check their tyres before stealing the money from their cars.

The men were arrested after one victim identified their car and reported the theft to police.

Police tracked the men down and found that the leader of the gang had used fake documents to rent the car.

They said the accused told them how they carried out the theft.

Chief Prosecutor Fahad Alzarooni said the leader of the gang was a former convict belonging to a criminal organisation who specialise in robbing bank customers and employees.

Prosecutors accused all six men of theft and using dangerous weapons. The leader of the gang was also charged with forging and using fake official documents.

The men were referred to Dubai Criminal Court where they will stand trial.