DUBAI 15 August 2017: A young Filipina, who made romantic overtures by wrapping her scarf around strangers from her country to rob them, received one year in jail.
The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance also sentenced her six partners to one year in jail each.
All the convicts were ordered deportation after serving their jail sentence.
The young Filipina wrapped her scarf around targeted fellow-country pedestrians to rob them while five other men crowded around the victims to distract their attention, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.
SM, 27, and her husband RD, 45, met RK, 37, fugitive who asked them to cooperate with him in robbing pedestrians in markets.
Later RJ, 62, DS, 47, IA, 46, FK, joined them and the seven formed a gang and they allegedly robbed five pedestrians at different areas in Dubai.
On March 13, 2016, BK, headed to an electronic shop at Bani Yas area.
“A few steps away from the shop, a Filipina wrapped a scarf around me and another person walking beside me. All of a sudden men gathered around me. Wondering what happened, I put my hand in my pocket and found out that the US$7,000 were stolen. The woman and them men had already disappeared,” said BK who reported the crime to the police.
Camera Footage
Police reviewed the camera footage at the electronic shop, and saw a Filipina, who wrapped her scarf around the victim while her fellow countrymen gathered around the victim.
Investigating the theft, police found that the Filipina and five of the men were in detention at Al Rifaa police station.
Investigating with them, the accused admitted to stealing from the complainant.
Police reported that the accused also admitted four other thefts they committed following the same modous operandi (MO).
Mastermind Missing
The mastermind of the thefts, a fugitive, used to pay each of the gang member Dh200.
The woman admitted that her role was to wrap her scarf around the targeted person. While the fugitive puts his hand into the victim’s pocket. The other men had to crowd around the victim, she admitted.
By Lolyana Zaki