Trader tied up and robbed by friendly hosts

An Afghani with another fugitive allegedly tied up, robbed and assaulted a trader asking him for the ATM PIN code, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

MW, 31, was accused of detaining his compatriot SJ, binding his legs and arms with tape, assaulting him, threatening to kill him, and stealing his money.  MW  denied the accusation when appeared before the Jury Presided by Judge Hamad Abdul Latif saying: “I didn’t do it.”

The victim, SJ, 28, trader, testified that he had been running a car import company in Dubai for three years and often came to Dubai to supervise the work.

In April, he said, he met MW and his accomplice, who offered him a place to stay. “I lived with them for 10 days before I left to Afghanistan,” SJ said. 

SJ returned to Dubai in May, and MW took him to the same apartment. The next morning the two assaulted him. “They tied me up using a piece of cloth and plastic tape, then beat me up,” SJ testified.

The man who remains at large stole Dh2,500 from his bag, several cheques and two credit cards, as well we his ATM card, he said.  “As I refused to give him the secret PIN code of the ATM card despite beating me...he pointed a knife to my throat so I give him the code number,” SJ testified.

SJ spent 24 hours restrained, according to the records. The next morning his legs were untied to allow him go to the toilet, SJ said. “I ran to the open window and screamed for help...a man heard me and called the police,” SJ said.

MW ran away before the police arrived, and his accomplice had already left the apartment. Police said Dh30,000 was withdrawn from SJ’s account.

Police arrested MW while trying to flee the country through Hatta border, while the other accused remains at large, said the records.

The court adjourned the case until October 13.

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