Three men incarcerated for Dhs20.7m villa burglary

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

Three men who broke into a British businessman’s villa and fled with Dhs20, 708, 000 worth cash and valuables were on Monday jailed for two years.

The Latino defendant, 27, colleague, 30, and countryman, 31, stormed the villa in a luxury community in Dubai at night on Feb.25. They broke a window’s lock and smashed wardrobe drawers and a metallic safe.

They fled with jewellery, watches, handbags, sunglasses, buttons, gold bars, makeup, sound systems, TV receivers, bedsheets, pillowcases, UAE dirhams, US and Canadian dollars, Euros and Italian and Thai currencies.

They also stole rare antique Indian banknotes. The cash and valuables belonged to the businessman and his wife. The robbery was discovered by his Indian worker who had gone upstairs to turn on the AC.

Police recovered the stolen items. In court, the trio confessed to both counts of robbery and damaging property. The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced them to two years behind bars to be followed by deportation.

A Yemeni corporal said the defendant revealed they met in their homeland and agreed to ransack Dubai villas. They rented a car from the Dubai airport. They marauded in various Dubai areas examining villas on Feb.24.

When they reached Emirates Hills, they spotted a big villa with luxury cars parked in front of it.  There were external stairs to its first floor balcony. They monitored the villa until they confirmed there was no one inside.

They chose to burgle it. They returned to their Deira hotel apartment and distributed roles. The accomplice was tasked with driving the car and watching outside. They bought gloves, two screwdrivers and a torch.

They reached the villa at around 6:30pm on Feb.25. Thirty minutes after sunset, the defendant and colleague accessed it carrying backpacks containing tools. They wore masks, climbed stairs and ransacked bedrooms. They contacted the accomplice to pick them up. They kept the loot inside the hotel apartment, waiting to share it equally. Police caught them with it next day. The colleague and the accomplice gave similar confessions.