Expat trader flees UAE with more than Dh20m debt

Traders in Dubai are in search of an Indian man and his 12 associates, who've allegedly disappeared with their vegetables and fruits worth several million dirhams.

Mohammed Ashraf, owned the trading firm Orange Line, which operated from the Fruit and Vegetable market in Dubai, used to re-export vegetables and fruits to all major GCC countries from the UAE.

The man has been missing since last Thursday.

“He owes almost every single traders operating in the market here. So far, according to our calculations, the amount he owes is not less than Dh20million. There is more to be accounted for,” said C.P. Jaleel of Panviet Foods.

Some of the affected traders have already registered police complaints.

“Investigations have already started. We are hoping that an Interpol alert will be issued soon,” said Jaleel.

Before leaving the country last Thursday, Ashraf sold off all his company-owned vehicles and collected whatever cash from other traders who owed him.

Explaining the modus operandi, Hyder from Farzana Traders, who used to supply fresh fruits to Orange Line, said that the goods that were purchased for Dh100 were sold to customers in Qatar and Kuwait for Dh90 in exchange for ready cash.

“This was all pre-planned. Most of the discounted sales were made during the last two to three months and to some of our own clients,” said Hyder, whose company is claiming unpaid bills of approximately Dh1 million.

According to Jaleel, the practice in the market among the traders is to offer a two month credit. “However, since bills are generated at the end of every month, it almost becomes a three-month credit. He owes me about Dh200,000 for supplies made during the last three months. I used to sell him ginger, garlic, carrot and lemons,” he said.

Ashraf, who is from Palakkad in Kerala, has been conducting business in the UAE for the past six years.

“Initially, we thought he had gone to India. But we enquired at his home town, and his house there is locked and his family members are not traceable. It is the same story with all his associates. They have all disappeared,” added Jaleel.

Ashraf, who exported goods to all GCC countries except Saudi Arabia, is said to have also closed down his agencies in Qatar and Kuwait. “Whoever owed him money were given a 20 per cent rebate for immediate payment.

“He collected whatever he was supposed to get from the market. One businessmen paid him just Dh800,000 in cash instead of Dh1 million,”said Hyder.

However, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred in the local fruit and vegetable market.

According to traders, six months ago, Sunil (also from Kerala in India) disappeared with pending dues of more than Dh5 milion. “He used to trade in only onions, and most of his victims were Pakistani traders. Sunil used to buy onions from wholesale importers and supply it to all major supermarkets in the UAE,” said Soman, another trader.

“Just a few weeks ago, another onion trader named Moideen also disappeared with dues amounting to several hundred thousand dirhams.

With so many incidents, traders are a bit worried,” said Jaleel.

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