Facebook puts expats in Colombian gang

With the help of two Sudanese, five Colombians allegedly burgled a villa and stole jewellery and precious watches worth Dh700,000, in addition to $18,000 and remote control of CCTV, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

Sudanese clerk MM, 2o, met JD,28, Colombian, on Facebook and after a year of friendship, the Colombian revealed that he is a member of a gang specializing in burgling villas in different countries.

Via a telephone call from Oman, the Colombian expressed interest in burgling villas in Dubai and asked the Sudanese for logistical help in return for a share of the spoils.

After two days, the Colombian called the clerk and told him that they are at Sharjah Corniche.

The clerk, accompanied by compatriot student TA, met the gang’s members at Sharjah Corniche.
 
The gang stayed in a hotel in Sharjah before moving to a flat in Dubai Marina that the clerk had rented after forging photocopy of a passport by placing his picture in the photocopy.

The clerk then accompanied the Colombians to a car rented company, rented a Range Rover and tinted its glass.

Then the gang headed to Dragon Mart in Dubai and bought tools to break into villas.

The student drove into areas where well-to-do people live such as Jumeira, Al Safa, Al Rashidiya, and Emirates Hills, while the Colombians were saving the locations on their mobile phones so that they can revisit those areas for burgling later.

The gang burlged a number of villa in Dubai and gave a share of the loot to the Sudanese clerk who, in turn, gave part of it to the student.
 
On June 27, between 6.30pm to 11.30pm, MA, 42, Emirati, left his house.

 “I left my house at around 6.30pm and ensured that the villa’s door and the outside entrance door were locked. I returned home at around 11.30pm and climbing up to my bedroom, I was shocked to find it in a big mess. Other rooms, both upstairs and downstairs, were all in a big mess. I found missing the CCTV’s remote control and jewellery worth Dh450,000 in addition to watches worth Dh250,000 and $18,000 in cash,” the victim told investigators.

MA reported the theft to the police.

Police investigated the crime and found out that the thieves had entered the villa by climbing the fence and from the children’s playing room on the ground floor, which was not firmly closed.

The thieves headed to the CCTV control room on the upper floor, stole the recording and damaged the system before going to the other rooms.
 
Police investigated the theft and found out that the thieves were using a white Range Rover, which proved to be a rented car.

Police found out that the criminals had used a forged British passport to rent the vehicle.
 
Police reached TA, 20, Sudanese student, involved in burgling villas. TA was arrested in Sharjah on July 7.

When confronted, TA admitted to participating in burglaries with a compatriot and five Colombians.

He admitted that five Colombians JD, 28, FA, 25, JA, 23, JP, 24 and CM, 22, had come to the UAE  to burgle houses in Dubai.

On the same day, police arrested the clerk MM.

The student admitted to getting two watches and some money, which he used to buy an iPhone. Police confiscated the watches and the iPhone from his car.
 
Police confiscated from the clerk Dh12,760 that he were hiding in his underwear besides some watches from his house.

Checking the criminal record of the two Sudanese, police found out that there were cases of theft attempt and molestation against them in 2009 and 2003.

Police learnt that the five Colombians had fled the UAE to Oman.
 
In coordination with Omani authorities, the Colombians were arrested with some jewellery and precious things in their possession. They were hiding the precious things in toys.
 
Oman handed over to Dubai the accused who admitted to a number of thefts in Dubai.
 
Police found out that the Colombians had entered Oman on visit visas and they illegally entered the UAE through the Buraimi border.

MA was asked to identify his belongings from the confiscated items. The victim identified some but not all of his belongings.
 
Dubai Prosecution accused the two Sudanese of criminal complicity and the five Colombians of theft.

JD alone is accused of forging the British passport which they used to rent the vehicle.

The court will reconvene on November 26.