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Dubai ‘Bitcoin Gang’ with stolen Dh7m nabbed within 48 hours

By Sheena Amos

DUBAI 29 April 2018: Dubai Police managed to capture a gang in less than 48 hours after they had committed an armed robbery stealing Dh7 million.

The Dubai Police General Command arrested a gang that stole Dh7 million from two Asian brothers using white weapons, less than 48 hours after the receipt of the communication.

Although no evidence was available, police managed to find the gang leader’s identity within 4 hours.

General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, stressed that the readiness of the department and its field teams to deal with all events at all times with utmost precision and professionalism.

Maj. Gen. Al Marri said Dubai police will be ready for anyone who tampers with or disturbs the security, calling at the same time for traders not to be easy prey for criminals.

He praised Maj. Gen. Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commanding General for the Criminal Investigation, for the speed of response. He also praised the speed of response of Muraqqabat police station patrols to the scene.

Maj. Gen. Al Mansouri thanked police in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman for their cooperation with the Dubai Police General Command, which contributed to the speed of arresting the suspects before them escaping to an unknown destination or disposing off the stolen money.

Maj. Gen. Mansouri said a report was sent to the command and control center in the General Directorate of Operations on the 25th of this month, stating that armed robbery and theft were committed where two brothers of Asian nationality were attacked, threatened with white weapons and robbed of their money.

How It Was Done

The cash was estimated at about Dh7 million. The gang was unidentified and the criminals had fled to an unknown destination.

Lt. Col. Adel Al Jokar confirmed that the search and investigation team immediately moved to the location of the incident and found that the two brothers had Bitcoins. One of them explained that there was someone who wanted to sell the Bitcoins for Dh7 million.

The random sale was by an organized criminal gang.

Lt. Col. Joker explained that the gang leader had planned to do so by advertising that one of the office owners in the Muraqqabat area wanted to sell his office and commercial license.

At 8 pm, he invited the brothers to inspect the office after the departure of the staff. He had a copy of the keys to the office. The gang leader hid six gang members in the office and another three were on guard outside the office.

When the victims arrived, they assaulted them and threatened them with white weapons. They took the money and tied them up in the office and fled to an unknown destination without leaving any trace.

Lt. Col. Joker said the gang, which consists of 10 people, was led by a person of Gulf nationality with members of Asian nationality. The General Command of Dubai Police has been able to identify the leader of the gang in four hours despite the absence of any evidence.

After an analysis of the incident at the Criminal Data Analysis Center of Dubai Police, the gang leader was located in a neighboring emirate and arrested.

Lt. Col. Joker said the gang leader confessed to committing the crime with the other members of the gang, whose location was determined in four different emirates. Accordingly, the zero hour was determined and the suspects were detained by the search and investigation teams.

Challenges and Confrontations

Lt. Col. Joker said the challenges faced by the interrogators was that the accused were not directly related to each other and had communicated only through their leader, which made it difficult to connect them.

He added that the defendants had agreed on distributed portions of the stolen money before committing the crime. The owner of the office was also a victim of them, but the criminals wanted to show that the office owner was the perpetrator of the crime.

The gang has been referred to the competent authorities to complete legal proceedings.