Gardener steals falcon-calling devices worth Dh57,000 from employer, court hears

DUBAI // A gardener stole 22 ultrasonic devices used to call falcons, and 37 lithium batteries from his employers, Dubai Criminal Court heard.

The Iraqi owner of the company, which sells falconry equipment, reported the incident to police after the items were found to be missing from his warehouse in Lehbab on April 21 last year.

“I saw someone leaving the place with a large plastic bag, he looked tense, then after double checking, I found out that Dh57,000-worth of items were stolen,” said the 47-year-old owner.

He said he then returned to catch the man and question him.

“He told me that my gardener assigned him to carry the items after he himself put them in the bag,” said the owner.

Police were contacted and arrested three men, the gardner and two others.

During questioning they said that the gardener, a 24-year-old Pakistani, would give them the items to take from the warehouse, get them back later and sell them.

The two other defendants, an Afghan aged 22 and 23-year-old Pakistani, told interrogators: “One day we were with him while he (the gardener) was cleaning the warehouse, and we saw him take some devices. Then he offered us to take part – we would carry the stolen items out of the place but he was the one who took responsibility of contacting and meeting buyers.”

Only the gardner was present in court to deny a charge of theft. The two others failed to show up to face a charge of aiding and abetting.

A verdict is expected on January 23.