Two Indian men have been jailed by a Dubai court for stealing 16 diamond sets worth over Dh500,000 from a compatriot after claiming they wanted to show them to a potential buyer.

The Dubai Court of Misdemaenours sentenced the defendants to six months in jail to be followed by deportation. One of the defendants was sentenced in absentia as he had managed to flee the country with the valuables.

The jewellery shop owner said the 52-year-old defendant, SJ, was his friend whom he got to know through business. SJ called him and said he wanted to show the sets to a buyer. Since the "market was slow", the victim handed the sets over to the second defendant, who was another business acquaintance.

The man who picked up the jewellery, identified as MF, signed on a receipt before taking the valuables, said the shop owner. The next day, the owner visited SJ at his flat, where the latter signed on a document stating the number of diamond sets he requested.

After a few days, the victim tried calling MF, but found his phone switched off. "I realised then that he fled the country."

After the owner's attempts to retrieve his jewellery failed, he filed a complaint at Al Raffa police station.

Lawyer Awatif Mohammed from Al Rowad Advocates and Legal Consultants argued that SJ was the one responsible for the safety of the valuables.

Source: Khaleej Times