Three Indian families living in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman have reported theft of gold ornaments, electronic items such as video cameras and expensive mobile phones by newly recruited Asian housemaids, sourced from advertisements in leading English dailies of Dubai.
Speaking to 'Emirates24|7' victims said they have recruited new housemaids through advertisements in the English dailies and the respondents were keen to start work immediately. Three Indian families that advertised for housemaids in a leading English newspapers have now lost gold ornaments together weighing at least more than half a kilogram (660ngrams), within a few hours to few days after the recruitment.
George Kutty, living in Abu Shagara, Sharjah, advertised for a new housemaid, after the old housemaid went back to her native place on an emergency leave.
“Immediately after the advertisement appeared, we received calls and one Sri Lankan housemaid was ready to start work immediately. Within 15 days after she joined, we lost gold ornaments of 60 sovereigns (one sovereign equal’s seven grams),” said sources familiar with the incident.
She had access to the keys to all the rooms in the family. On the 15th day of joining duty, the family went to drop their children to school and returned within one hour, only to discover the housemaid had absconded with an iron safe weighting 15 kg that contained gold ornaments; BlackBerry phones; iPhones; and a video camera worth Dh3,500. The family sources said they believed that the new housemaid is a loveable person, but they lost heavily and they are unable to complaint to the police, because it is illegal to employ part-time maids.
David and family, another Indian expatriate family living in International City, Dubai, lost gold, passport and other precious items, a few hours after the new part-time housemaid joined them. “She was recruited through a newspaper advertisement and one hour after she joined duty, she absconded with gold ornaments. The family left behind their elder child with the housemaid and went to hospital, but the lady put the child to bed early and disappeared with the gold ornaments. She had access to the keys kept in the bedroom and took away the valuables, without leaving a trace of even her fingerprints.
Another Indian family, living near Al Shab Building near GMC Hospital, Ajman lost gold ornaments weighting 16 soverigns, four passports, credit cards and other valuables. The Sri Lankan housemaid is alleged to have absconded with the valuables.
Another Indian couple - Shan who works in Dubai and his wife who is a nurse in a Ajman hospital - appointed a young housemaid through newspaper advertisement.
When she joined for duty, only Shans mother and their child were at home with the housemaid. “Pretending to clean the bedroom, she took the safe key and smartly accessed a small box that contained gold, passports of four family members, credit cards and other documents. She left the house when the grandmother was busy with the child in another room," they said. A case is registered with Al Nuaimia Police Station, Ajman.
Police officials have been warning families against appointing part-time maids.
In fact it is illegal to recruit and employ part-time maids in the UAE.
Cross speed limit by 60kmph in
Dubai and lose your vehicle
for a month