DUBAI // A member of a gang that sprayed pepper in a bank customer’s face before stealing a bag containing more than Dh500,000 has been jailed for six months.
The 37-year-old Pakistani was with three other men when they followed the 42-year-old Indian to a branch of RAK Bank in Al Rafaa on July 29 last year.
“I was sent to withdraw Dh501,000 from my company’s account. When I headed to my bike the four men attacked me,” said the victim who was temporarily blinded by the pepper spray.
His screams attracted two Yemeni brothers who were standing nearby.
“I saw as the men were trying to grab a bag from another man’s arms. My brother and I chased the one who got the bag and caught him then called police,” testified one of the brothers, 25.
Three of the gang were arrested and prosecuted but the defendant remained at large until his arrest in December last year.
He denied a charge of attempted robbery and told judges at Dubai Criminal Court his role was to watch the victim and inform the others when he left the bank.
He was convicted and will be deported after serving his prison term.
salamir@thenational.ae
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
TOUR DE FRANCE INFO
Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Good Liar
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.