‘Bitcoin dealers’ jailed for heist

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

DUBAI: Three Asian men who posed as Bitcoin dealers, confined a Chinese trader and his countrymen and decamped with his Dhs800, 000, on Monday.

The manager, employee, and businessman confined the victims and robbed cash -inside a Dubai office at around 4pm on March 29.2018. The Criminal Court jailed them for one year plus deportation.  

In the same case, an Asian business associate, driver and three unemployed Asian men suspected to have abetted the confinement and robbery crimes were pronounced innocent by the jury.

The trader’s business partner said that an Asian posted an ad on Facebook claiming he was dealing in Bitcoins. “He told me he had 400 Bitcoins for sale at Dhs800, 000. The trader arranged the sum.

“The employee received us. The manager showed us documents and photos of Bitcoins on his computer. He sent messages with his mobile. Three men posing as cops entered, shouted, tied us and robbed us.”

The trader narrated that he went to the office in Al Rifa’a area accompanied by his countrymen to purchase Bitcoins. The employee welcomed them in, had a look at the money and gave them seats.

The manager also examined the money then showed them photos of alleged Bitcoins on his computer. He returned to his seat. He was using his mobile in a manner that appeared he was sending messages.

“After three minutes, three men in Emirati attire entered saying they were detectives. They ordered us not to move. They intimidated us and ordered us to lie down for a search operation,” complained the trader.

“They tied us with plastic handcuffs, locked the door from outside and fled with the cash and our mobiles. The employee returned and untied the manager. The manager fled. We stopped the employee from escaping.”

An Emirati lieutenant said surveillance cameras captured the getaway car obtained from a rental firm by the manager. He admitted he offered the gang to use his office for a three-hour period against Dhs3, 000. Investigations revealed the robbery was masterminded by the businessman (the manager’s friend) who took charge of dispatching bogus detectives.