Jebel Ali 'diesel buyers' turn out to be robbers

A Pakistani carpenter along with other accomplices allegedly lured a diesel supplier to an isolated areas in Jebel Ali Village by pretending to be diesel buyers and robbed him of Dh20,000 and two mobile phones after beating him up.

On February 2 at around 5pm, the 38-year-old victim SM received a phone call on from a person who asked him to supply his company with 700 litres of diesel. On the following day at around 6am, the victim headed to Jebel Ali Village and on his way he received a call from the ‘client’ who directed him to a place near a church.

“After half an hour I arrived at the location and saw the client waiting for me. He asked me to fill the generator with diesel. As I stepped down from the truck, two men, with their faces covered and wearing gloves, came to me with knives in their hands. They pointed the knife at my face and threatened to kill me. I struggled with them as they tried to get control over me.

“The third man tied my hands with plastic ropes and a scarf. Then they beat me up using a hard tool until I fell unconscious. When I woke up, I saw that all the things in the truck were in a mess. Checking my belongings, I found out that they had taken Dh8,000 from my pocket and Dh12,000 from the truck in addition to two mobile phones. Although I could not release my hands, I went to Jebel Ali police station where I lodged a complaint,” SM told investigators.

Police reached one of the suspects from the mobile phone number that the victim had received. It belonged to a carpenter SL, 32, who stays in Abu Dhabi. Police arrested the suspect who admitted to using the SIM card since several years and that he is the only one who uses this number. The victim recongised the accused when shown to him via an identification parade.

“I saw his face while struggling as I pulled down the scarf that he was covering his face with,” he told the police.

Forensic reported that the victim sustained injuries with hard tools of rough surface without having any disability.

The Court will issue its verdict on December 17.