Sword gang who stole Dh200,000 from Gold Souq businessmen have sentences upheld

Three Chinese men have their five-year sentences uphelf at Dubai court for beating countrymen and stealing their takings.

DUBAI // Three men who attacked a group of businessmen with swords and knives before stealing Dh200,000 in cash lost their appeal against five-year prison terms.

Prosecutors said L W, 40, H L, 45, and S H, 33, all from China, attacked countrymen Y K, H G and H W and stole an envelope containing takings from Y K’s shop in the Gold Souq, Deira, on August 8 last year.

“Men appeared out of nowhere and took an envelope that contained the day’s earnings,” said Y K, 34.

“I tried to stop them but they started hitting me with swords and knives.”

H G, also 34, added: “Me and H W tried to stop the attack on Y K but they started hitting us with knives. My left arm sustained several injuries from the attack.”

Emirati police officer A A told prosecutors that he was alerted to the attack at 9.30pm and found the victims badly hurt. They were taken to Rashid Hospital for treatment.

Police were later tipped-off that L W, H L and S H were hiding in an apartment in the China cluster at International City.

H L was found in the apartment and was arrested. L W and S H were identified from an identity parade at a police station.

At Dubai Criminal Court the three men entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of armed robbery. However, they were all convicted and handed five years in jail, to be followed by deportation, which they appealed and lost.