Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A gaming hub owner and his workers who kidnapped and battered customers for installing decryption software must be deported, the Dubai Appeals Court has ruled.

The Asian businessman, 32, his compatriot worker, 33, and the latter’s workmate, 37, with the help of other gang members abducted the Chinese victim, 54, and his friend, 40, at around 9:30pm on Feb.27.

They were accusing them of having installed decryption software targeting a gambling game in the devices of the businessman’s electronic games hub in the International City’s Chinese Cluster, records showed.

The businessman seized the victim and his workers rained punches and kicks on him. The victim’s friend tried to rescue him. They smashed his phone. They took both away while threatening to kill them.

Cleaner jailed for biting off woman tongue

Bankrupt cleaner jailed for shaming flatmate

Fake government worker immured for rape

They threatened to bury them in the desert unless they paid Dhs100, 000. They confessed during prosecution questioning. The Dubai Criminal Court imprisoned them for three months plus deportation.

They appealed seeking to challenge the ruling. The Dubai Appeals Court has suspended the prison term. However, it has ordered that they be deported.

On the record, the victim said he paid Dhs200 to play. “I and my friend were playing when I heard someone ordering us to get out. I ignored him. Suddenly, the businessman slapped my neck from behind. I fell.

“He told me the slap was a reward for having declined to obey him. The defendants and other men kicked me. My friend tried to help me get up. The worker grabbed his phone and smashed it on the ground.

“He punched my left cheek and eye. They seized me and shoved me inside a car.” They also dragged and shoved his friend inside. They drove around for 40 minutes while threatening to kill them and bury them.

They confined them to a room for an hour. “I overheard someone saying I had to pay Dhs100, 000 or be handed to the police. They were taking us back inside the car when policemen arrived,” he said.

His friend narrated, “They transported us around without talking to us apart from issuing death threats. They said they were taking us to a desert. Later, the worker got me out of the room. Police arrested him outside.”

An Emirati police officer testified that the businessman upon arrest said the victims caused him losses after installing a decryption program that targeted a gambling game he stored in his video game devices.

Records showed an ambulance arrived to tend to the injured victim. The assault was captured by surveillance cameras. The trio confessed to the kidnap and assault charges during interrogations.