2.46 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Four-wheel car thieves nabbed in Dubai

(SUPPLIED)

Published
By Staff

Dubai police finally smashed a car theft ring that had targeted luxury four-wheel vehicles and succeeded in stealing 56 of such cars, which were smuggled out to Iran and Afghanistan, according to a senior police officer.

One Indian driver of a recovery truck and a Pakistani man had joined hands with two Afghan dealers residing outside the UAE to steal such cars, which are suitable for rugged terrain in those two Asian countries, said Brigadier Khalil al Mansoori, director of the criminal investigation department in Dubai.

The thieves were mainly targeting vehicles stacked in the suburbs, mainly those which are ready for shipping abroad, he told Emirat Alyoum daily.

“Over the past few months, this gang has succeeded in stealing 56 cars, mainly Toyota Land cruiser and Prado….20 were stolen from Dubai and 36 from a neighboring emirate…they are worth Dh tens of millions,” he said.

“They had used advanced techniques in taking the cars and smuggling them out of the UAE…one technique involved placing the car in a container prepared for shipping and surrounding it with auto spare parts and engines to conceal it.”

Mansoori said police and detectives were deployed near many car showrooms and store houses after receiving repeated reports of thefts, adding that police finally managed to locate the thieves in Aweer area.

“Our men saw a recovery car moving slowly near the Aweer car market at three in the morning…it then moved into the main square used to store such cars as Land cruiser and Prado,” he said.

“Two men then got out and one headed for a car…he then smashed the glass and quickly started the vehicle and placing it on the recovery car….our men then rushed and caught them red handed after they were filmed by security cameras.”

Mansoori said police had recovered five vehicles just before they were shipped and are working to regain the remaining stolen cars through Interpol.

He said two Afghan dealers visited the UAE in 2009 and met the two thieves in Dubai to plan the burglaries.

“Car dealers in Dubai need to increase security and hire more guards to they will not be an easy target for thieves…Dubai police have done their best to arrest the thieves and recover stolen cars but we have some suspicions regarding the way those cars were stolen and their data changed,” he said.

“Police could have seized the thieves long time ago if they were seen by a security guard at storing areas….we hope this negligence will be tackled.”