International burglary gang back in dock over Dh1 million villa theft

The gang, made up of Colombians and Sudanese men, are already serving jail terms for a similar crime.

DUBAI // An international gang convicted of stealing Dh700,000 worth of jewellery and other valuables from a Dubai villa is back in court for stealing more than Dh1 million in goods from another home.

The jobless men broke into the Jumeirah villa on June 28 last year and stole diamonds, money and other valuables from a Pakistani couple, prosecutors told Dubai Criminal Court on Thursday. Two Sudanese men and five Colombians, all aged between 23 and 39, are charged with forming a gang, trespassing, armed robbery and causing damage.

The Sudanese defendants met with one of the Colombians on Facebook a year before the crimes started and agreed to take part in the burglaries by providing logistics, such as an apartment to live in and a get-away car, prosecutors allege.

Before the burglary, the Sudanese duo took the other five to Ajman’s China Mall, where they bought tools to use in the burglary then, a few days later, drove them to the villa.

One Colombian acted as a look-out while his countrymen climbed the villa’s wall and smashed one of the windows to enter the house. They stole cash, diamond watches and cufflinks, as well as other valuables, worth more than Dh1m, it is alleged.

The five are said to have fled to Oman illegally but were eventually arrested in a joint operation between Dubai Police and Omani authorities.

In the previous case in court last November, the Colombians were found guilty of breaking into a house in Nad Al Hamar and stealing Dh450,000 worth of jewellery, watches worth Dh250,000, US$18,000 in cash as well as a device that controls surveillance cameras.

Each of the five Colombians was sentenced to five years in jail, followed by deportation.

The pair from Sudan were convicted of aiding and abetting and were sentenced to three years in jail each, followed by deportation.

All seven defendants denied charges against them in court on Thursday.

One of the Colombian defendants told judges that he and his compatriots have been sentenced in a similar case but they didn’t commit the crime. “Our confessions were taken under force,” said the accused.

The verdict will be issued next month.