Porter steals shop's safe with Dh125,000 inside

22-year-old MS, Bangladeshi salesman, allegedly stole from his employer’s office safe which contained Dh125,000 in cash, Dh216,325 in cheques and two passports.

Also, MO, 25, and MM, 21, both Bangladeshis, are accused of helping the prime accused MS and other fugitives in planning and executing the theft.

On August 19, at around 11pm, the employer MJ, 40, foodstuffs distributor, closed the store in Al Awir in the presence of MS, who was not on his sponsorship but worked for him as a porter.

“MS knew that I kept the daily revenues in the safe inside the store. One day, I had asked MS, who lived in International City, to make a copy of the store’s key since there is a key making shop near his house. It seems that he had made two copies instead of one and kept one for himself. He and others planned to steal money from my store,” said MJ.

At around 3am, MH, salesman, went to the store to open it but found that the door was open, so he informed the owner MJ. MH also called the porter MS and asked him to come to the shop but the latter told him that he is sleeping. However, he came to the store later.

MJ came to the store and reported to the police that the safe was missing. Police reviewed recordings of the CCTV cameras and found out that two men had come to the store and that one of them had opened the door using a key while the other observed the area.

The man who entered the store lifted the CCTV cameras up. However, it seems that he failed to switch it off as it continued recording. The man was seen looking around in the store but did not find what he was searching for. He went out of the store and returned after about half an hour and went to where the safe was kept. He was seen breaking a wooden box, lifting a small safe that was inside the box and leaving the place.

Police suspected MS since he was thought to be having a key of the store.  On interrogation, MS admitted to planning the theft along with others including some who are still at large. MS told police that on the day of the theft, he knew that a large amount of money had been kept in the safe. He called his friends, all of whom agreed to steal the money. 

However, MS declined to go with his friends to the store to avoid suspicion. He gave the key he had copied to MM (fugitive) who along with others stole the safe and fled, MS told police.

The thieves took the safe to a construction site, where one of them worked as a guard, to break it. After breaking it, they distributed Dh125,000 among themselves. They also got rid of the 14 cheques and the two passports.  

Police arrested MO, 25, MA, 21, BM, 35, and MI, 33, who repeated similar testimonies. Police confiscated with Dh35,900 from MO, Dh3,000 from MA who admitted to transferring Dh18,000 to his home country through MI.

MI denied participation in the theft and admitted only to transferring the amount to MA’s brother on the latter’s request.

Police confiscated Dh22,800 from BM who denied participating in the theft but admitted to receiving the amount from MM (fugitive). 

MM and his companion who had entered the store were reported to be at large.

The court will give its verdict on January 18.

 

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