The Sharjah Criminal court charged six Africans involved in the armed robbery of a car transporting money, in Muweilah area.

The gang used knives and other arms to steal a bag containing Dh710,000. Details of the incident came to light when the Sharjah Police operations room was informed about a number of vehicles used to transport money to varous banks being attacked by a gang of armed robbers.

The six African suspects involved in the daring robbery attacked the driver using knives and beat him up, stole the money from inside the vehicle and fled the scene.

The Sharjah police formed an investigation team and subsequently managed to arrest the six suspects who confessed to the crime when they were arrested. The suspects were identified and arrested based on CCTV footages obtained from the banks and money exchange offices, the police said. They were arrested from several apartments, occupied by 30 to 40 people belonging to the same nationalities.

Presiding Judge Hussai Al Ousovi at the court charged the first suspect A.B. and second suspect A.K. with robbery and assault after they confessed to the crime in court as well, while three suspects D.K., M.J. and S.K., who attended the court hearing denied the accusations against them. One defendant is also charged with resisting the police officers when they attempted to arrest him, and for running his car into two police vehicles. He denied the accusations.

This particular gang, all of them Nigerians, were arrested along with three other gangs composed of 13 people, who targeted both ATM machines and vehicles carrying cash for ATM machines, and fled with Dh1.8 million. The Nigerian robbers entered the country on visit visas with the specific purpose of committing the roberries.

Four daring, violent robberies were carried out by the gangs. The first one took place at the ATM of the Dubai Commercial Bank on King Abdul Aziz Road, where the robbers assaulted security guards and fled with Dh340,000. Two days later, the gang struck again, this time at an ATM near Safeer Mall in Al Nahda area, where they fled with Dh700,000. After that, they carried out the Muweilah attack and robbery, making off with Dh710,000. They struck a fourth time at an ATM on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, but were foiled by the police.

The case has been adjourned to June 1, to bring in the sixth suspect who did not attended this court hearing.

In another case, the court heard a robbery case in which two Asians are accused of stealing from parking lots in Al Majaz and Abu Shagara in Sharjah, after they attacked and shackled up a guard. A Sharjah police official testified in court that the accused duo, R.A. and M.A. confessed only to the Abu Shagara theft, in which they stole Dh5,000.

The judge adjourned the next hearing to May 29, for the third accused to show up in court.

Source: Khaleej Times