Trio nick Dhs156,000 in beans, spices deal
- Last updated: May 25, 2019 | 23:22
Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter
A fine artist teamed up with two con artists to obtain Dhs156,125 from a foods trading company through a ghost beans and spices supply deal.
The Arab artist, 56, and the Asian couple – a marketing manager, 41, and his wife, 36 – targeted a foods trading company in Ras Al Khor Industrial area last year, the company’s officials complained to Rashidiyah Police Station.
They convinced officials they had beans and spices in form of chickpeas, cumin seeds, aniseed, black seeds and other kinds of beans grown in Syria. They claimed ability to procure them for the company at a cheap price.
The artist and manager forged the trade licence of a non-existent company, forged two documents regarding Dhs624,500 quotations and two guarantee cheques worth Dhs86,500 and Dhs69,625 respectively.
They and the housewife swindled Dhs156,125 using the fraudulent means, prosecutors revealed while demanding a tough punishment. The Dubai Criminal Court has imprisoned them for six months plus deportation.
On the record, the artist went to the company and convinced its Syrian director, 77, that he had connections with Syrian foods importers. Later on he returned with the manager and presented samples and quotations.
The manager claimed that his wife was the manager of a company that would collect the payments and process transactions. The artist claimed he was the company’s official in charge of sales and procurement.
They reached an agreement and the trio promised to import the foods within two months. According to the terms of agreement, the company had to make a 25 per cent down payment which was Dhs156,125.
The director paid them Dhs156,125. On the other hand, the artist and the manager had to present guarantee cheques equivalent to the down payment. They did so by handing the director two bogus cheques.
Two months passed. The duo started procrastinating and making excuses. The director went to the concerned bank to cash the guarantee cheques. Both cheques bounced. The account had been closed since 2013.
The director recalled that the duo had given him the name of a company supposed to ship and deliver the goods. He searched and discovered the company was shut several years ago and its location occupied by another.