Deira shooting suspects were deported from UAE in 2008, police say

Two men suspected of shooting a Deira shopkeeper in the chest last week were deported from the country four years ago for issuing bad cheques.

Hussain Fakhruddin was shot while he was working at Al Rizq Al Halal Trading Company, in the Al Naif area of Deira.

DUBAI // Two men suspected of shooting a Deira trader in the chest last week where arrested in an early morning raid on Thursday, police say.

Lt Col Ahmed Al Merri, head of the criminal investigations unit at Dubai Police, told The National the suspects were two Iranians who had snuck back into the UAE after being deported in 2008.

The men, identified as 25-year-old S and 26-year-old A, were deported after being found guilty of issuing forged cheques in 2008. They are believed to have snuck back into the country across the Omani border.

Hussain Fakhruddin, 21, was shot while he was working at Al Rizq Al Halal Trading Company, in the Al Naif area of Deira on Tuesday afternoon.

He said men had followed one of his salesmen back from a bank after withdrawing a large sum of money. The three robbers were seen on CCTV cameras in the bank as well as at a hotel where his salesman stopped briefly before returning to the store.

According to Lt Col Al Merri, all information concerning the two suspects had been compiled by Tuesday night but the police waited to use the surprise element.

At 3am on Thursday, police raided the Al Mussalla home of suspect A. He reached for a loaded gun in his pocket and was preparing to fire when officers shot him in the leg.

A was referred to Rashid Hospital where he is being guarded by police.

S was arrested at his flat in Al Karama at the same time.

"He was asleep at the time of the raid," said Al Merri, adding that S tried to run when he realised what was happening, but officers caught him.

Al Merri said that 23 officers took part in the arrests.

Interrogation of the suspects is still continuing, but initial statements suggest the shooters had no previous relation with the victim and their main goal was the money.