DUBAI // Three men caught with more than half a billion in counterfeit euros will each spend two years in jail after being convicted by Dubai Criminal Court.
Croatian A T, 49, compatriot S T, 36, and Macedonian S P, 52, had €547 million (Dh2.18 billion) in fake €500 bills at their hotel when they were arrested.
Prosecutors said Indian salesman A M, 36, who works for a money-transfer business, was given €100,000 to be changed into Indian rupees and sent to India. A M called compatriot S J, 30, to arrange the delivery of the cash in India, because it was more than six million rupees.
“S J called me on August 29 last year about the cash and, after I had someone deliver it [the rupees], he called me and informed me that the man who has the euros will meet with us in a hotel in Dubai,” said A M. He said he met two men at a hotel in Muraqqabat.
The three of them then headed to a meeting room, where A M was given the euros in an envelope by one of the men, whom he was told was an Italian. A M then left the hotel and met S J, who was waiting in a car outside with Indian S R, 43.
“I opened the envelope and noticed the money was fake. They blamed me for not double checking the notes and then we returned to the hotel to look for the Italian who handed me the money,” A M said.
Police learnt that the Italian was in fact one of the two Croatian defendants.
Prosecutors said A T, S T and S P were tracked down to their room at the Marriott hotel in Al Sufouh and arrested. The three will all be deported after serving their terms.
salamir@thenational.ae
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Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m | Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m | Winner: Kawasir, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
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Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
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- Shadow of Your Love
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- Sweet Child O’ Mine
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- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
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Notable Yas events in 2017/18
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March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
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