Nanny stole and shipped more than Dh200,000 worth of items from sponsor in Dubai

After cancelling the maid's visa and sending her home, the housewife discovered that several other items were missing, include a painting worth Dh200,000.

DUBAI // A nanny stole items including toys, clothes and kitchen appliances worth more than Dh200,000 from her American employers over a period of four years and shipped them back to her home country, heard the Dubai Criminal Court.

On September 14 last year, K H, 40, a house wife, received a text message from her maid informing her that she had discovered some missing items that had been hidden by Flipina nanny J P, 33 in a wardrobe. “She said the items included children’s clothes, toys and kitchen appliances, she even took pictures of them and sent it to me on WhatsApp,” said K H.

“She denied at first then confessed she had been shipping all the stuff she stole to her country and gave them away to the poor.”

K H cancelled J P’s visa and sent her home using the same labour office that recruited her. However, she discovered that several other items were missing, include a painting worth Dh200,000.

“I also found that some jewellery was missing, a hand bag, accessories, clothes, travel bag, a golden button for my husband, some clothes, gem stones as well as baby clothes, sheets, rugs, and towels, the total value of these items is Dh213,234,” said K H.

Investigations found that the nanny had been taking the items with the help of her sister and boyfriend from the villa when K H was not home. J P had on occasions also covered surveillance cameras at the house.

Records show that the defendant’s sister and boyfriend were arrested and referred to the Court of Misdemeanours where they both denied knowing the items they had been given to ship to the Philippines were stolen.

Driver F S, 44, from India, testified that he had seen a vehicle from a shipping company come to the villa on several occasions when K H was not around. “It was nearly 3am when I once saw J P, her sister and another man loading stuff into that vehicle. When I asked her she said the sponsor knew about this so I returned inside the villa but noticed the cameras covered. When the sponsors came I told them and on that same day the robbery was discovered,” said the driver.

The defendant was not in court to face charges of theft. A verdict is expected on March 17.