Dubai: Four jailed for currency exchange fraud, to be deported – News

They will lure their victims and offer to exchange currency at an attractive price, then rob them and flee the scene

Four Arabs were arrested for fraud by offering to convert dirhams into dollars at an attractive exchange rate before robbing customers.

A victim reported to the police station that he was robbed near a hotel in Deira. He said he had responded to a Facebook post offering a lower currency exchange rate — 10,000 dirhams for $10,000. He agreed to meet the accused at a car park opposite a hotel in Deira.

One of the defendants came to his car. He threw a bundle of counterfeit banknotes on the passenger seat and snatched Dh10,000 from the victim before fleeing between the cars. The victim tried to grab him but was unsuccessful.

The police launched an investigation and seized four suspects, all of whom were arrested.

During interrogation, one of the suspects admitted that he came to the country a year ago on a visitor visa and joined a gang of his own nationality who worked for a ringleader living in the country.

The second suspect said the gang carried out the scam, luring victims with attractive exchange rates. He said it was his duty to watch out for the police while another officer handed the counterfeit money to the victim and robbed him. He said that after the victim was robbed, he would run away with others and get Dh500 each.

A third suspect said the mastermind behind the crime was a leader living outside the UAE. He managed operations, luring victims online and assigning jobs to other gang members. He does this through his fellow countrymen at home. The suspect added that all members of the gang were present at the scene of the crime and would have intervened if there was a problem, even if only one person was involved in the actual theft.

Sentenced by Dubai Criminal Court to 4 to 3 months’ imprisonment followed by deportation. They were each fined Dh10,000.