Businessman 'forgets' to declare SR341,000

An Indian partner in a firm confessed to transporting Saudi Riyal 341,300 without declaring them upon his arrival at Dubai International Airport.

The Dubai Misdemeanours Court will announce the sentence on September 22.

AAS, 35, a partner in a Dubai-based general trading company arrived in Dubai International Airport on June 1 coming from Bahrain. The customs officer suspected his luggage and asked him what was in the bag and whether he possessed something he should declare. AAS told him that he had only his personal papers.

Searching the bag, the officer found different amounts in envelopes hidden in the clothes. They totalled SR341,300. The man was referred to the Airport Police.

AAS told the police that the money belonged to the company and was the value of electronics he sold to companies in Dammam in Saudi Arabia. He submitted five invoices issued by his company and valued for Dh497,201. “I collected part of the amount. I asked buyers to hand me the money in Bahrain because it is difficult especially for Indians to transfer money in Saudi,” he told the police.

AAS denied that the amount was collected from drugs, bribes, piracy or any other illegal activity.

When asked why he did not transfer the amount from Bahrian to Dubai he said money transfer takes a couple of days and that he was in a desperate need for a cash.

When asked why he did not declare the amount to the authorities at Dubai International Airport although he admitted to knowing the UAE rules in this regard he said that he was in a hurry and wanted to leave the airport fast.

A letter from the UAE Central Bank assured that AAS did not have any criminal record and this incident was the first.

The prosecution referred AAS to the court for transporting money without declaring which is penalised in the federal Law No 4 of 2002 regarding criminalizing money laundering and its para 2 which stipulated declaring money transport when entering the country.

AAS confessed before the court to the accusation and the judge adjourned the case for verdict until September 22.

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