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28 March 2024

Dubai Police arrest two within hours of 30-sec gunpoint robbery

Published
By Mohammad El Sadafy and Bindu Suresh Rai

Dubai Police has arrested two men who robbed Dh450,000 from a money exchange in Motor City at gunpoint on Sunday. Some reports put the amout of stolen money at up to Dh1.6m.

Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander in Chief of Dubai Police, and his deputy, Major General Khamis Mattar, Brigadier Khalil Al Mansouri, and several criminal investigation officers reached the scene of the crime.

Witnesses at the scene of the crime said the robbery was done in a professional manner in just 30 seconds. The two, wearing black masks and gloves and carrying a firearm, stormed the money exchange, and began yelling ‘Don’t move’ in English at the staff.

One of the robbers then jumped over the glass that separates the staff from customers, entered the cashier’s cage and quickly grabbed the money, including a bag with some foreign currency. The robbers then fled hurriedly, leaving the money exchange staff in shock.

Police formed a number of working groups to investigate the case. A total of 243 officers were involved. Police managed to identify the culprits within two hours.

A man with a record of violent crime in a European country was arrested in a stake-out of their place. The police then arrested the second man from whom the firearm used in the crime was recovered. The stolen money was also found.

Speaking to Emirates 24|7 on phone, Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander in Chief of Dubai Police, said both the criminals were of Arab origin and held European passports.

Major General Khamis Mattar said Dubai Police had succeeded in arrested the two in record time despite contradictory statements of witnesses to the crime.