Toy gun used in Dh700,000 raid on Dubai currency exchange, police say

DUBAI // Six people arrested for allegedly robbing Dh700,000 from a money exchange shop used a toy gun in the raid, police said.

Dubai Police chief Maj Gen Khamis Al Muzeina said that the masked men, some of whom are UAE residents, used the toy, a taser and tear gas at the robbery in Karama on Sunday.

“The first suspect was caught within 24 hours,” he said.

“He at first denied the charges but, by the time we caught the rest, it was game over. They admitted to the crime.”

Four Eastern European men barged into the shop, stole the money and left in under three minutes without leaving any evidence that incriminated them, Maj Gen Al Muzeina said. The fifth suspect was the driver of the getaway vehicle, and the sixth served as a lookout.

“It was obvious that they were a professional gang, because at no point did they look up at the security cameras,” he said.

Maj Gen Khalil Al Mansouri, assistant to the Dubai Police chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, said that there was a breakthrough in the case when the authorities found a BMW on fire.

“This was supposed to be their getaway vehicle, which they had parked six streets away, but they were not able to use it, and so one of the gang members lit it on fire,” he said, adding that the car had fake licence plates.

The suspects managed to get into another stolen vehicle and get away, said Maj Gen Al Mansouri.

“The first suspect was arrested trying to leave the country,” he said, adding that, after interrogations, the police were able to locate the other men at their homes, which were all raided at the same time.

“All the suspects were arrested and most of the money was retrieved,” Maj Gen Al Mansouri said. They had already spent about Dh50,000 of the stolen money.

They will now be handed over to prosecutors.