A Syrian engineer, with help from a fugitive, allegedly stole the safe of Axiom Telecom’s shop in Deira City Centre which contained more than Dh214,000 but were unable to open it.  Later, after they were caught, the police opened the safe, the Dubai Criminal Court heard. 

MSH, 28, with THA, who fled the country, are accused of breaking the accounts box of the shop. They found only one of the two keys of the safe, forcing them to take the safe home. MSH is also accused of destroying the surveillance camera and its wires.

MSH confessed before the prosecution that at around 11.50pm on Friday July 22, he went with THA to Deira City Centre. THA asked him to stay in front of Axiom Telecom’s shop and inform him when it closes.

“I called him when the shop closed. He came and entered the shop using its back door key.  THA broke the account box and took a key of the safe. He tried to open the safe using the key but could not. He took four iPhones and then we went to Grand Central Hotel. At around 3.45am we went to Rotana Internet Café and we stayed there for about half an hour before heading home.

“THA changed his dress and I waited for him in the car. At around 5.15am, he told me that we have to go back to the shop to remove the surveillance cameras which had captured us. We reached there at around 6am. THA cut the wires, removed the camera and put it in a shopping trolley. Then he brought the safe and put it also in the trolley. We threw the camera in a garbage bin and took the safe to the rented car. Before flying home, THA asked me to open the safe and to transfer the money to him,” he testified.

“Our roommate AF, who knew nothing about the theft, dropped THA in his car at the airport. At around 5pm, AF left the flat so I brought the safe from the car to the house and tried to open it with a drill but could not. At around 1.30am of the following day, police arrested me in the flat,” he testified.

Store keeper Bishal Karki, 36, Nepali, testified that at around 9.30 he got a call from one of the shop’s employees telling him about the theft. The police was informed and they inspected the shop. One of the cameras showed two people, one of them wearing Axiom Telecom’s uniform and the other with a black shirt. They were seen using a shopping trolley. In one frame, the trolley was empty and in another it was full. They were seen cutting electric wires of one of the cameras nearest to the shop.

“The safe contained Dh214,010. Four iPhone sets and accessories were stolen besides an iPod which was in the safe,” he testified.

Police reported that the shop was opened with its back door key. The safe, which has two locks, was opened by the police and a large sum of money and documents were found in it.

The accused confessed to the charge and the court adjourned the case for verdict until December 22.