Woman's DIY debt collection idea: Kidnap

LB, a 55-year-old Chinese businesswoman, allegedly confined two women compatriots and threatened to kill one of them and her children if she did not return owed money, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

ZHZ, 39, housewife, testified that while she was with her friends in International City on September 24 at around 11am, the accused came with her husband and other three men.

“One of the men approached me and said he wanted to talk to me privately in the parking. I went with him and the other men followed us. A bus was waiting at the parking and as I came close to the vehicle, they pushed me into the bus.  They proceeded to Abu Dhabi followed by another car.

“The bus and the car stopped in an industrial area in in Abu Dhabi where they caught a friend of mine. They took us to a shop and started making fun of us and then asked us to pay back the debt. Then they took us back into the vehicles and returned to Dubai where they confined us in a hotel room.

“We suggested that we pay them Dh100,000 in cash and Dh150,000 by cheque. They agreed and allowed us to call YF to arrange the amount. YF talked to them and asked them to release us to allow us to arrange the amount.

"They refused and YF threatened to inform the police. Despite that they cut off the phone call. They forced me to sign an IoU letter of six million Chinese yuan. I and my friend signed on it. Then they allowed us to go home. With help from the hotel’s reception, we took a car of the hotel to a police station,” she testified.

The other victim ZLH, 47, saleswoman, testified that while she was in Abu Dhabi’s industrial area looking for a shop to rent, she received a call from an unidentified person speaking in English.

“I gave the phone to a person who was accompanying me and he guided him to us. Two cars came, men got off the cars and pulled me out of my car and pushed me to the wall. They shouted saying that I cannot run away from them.  Then they proceeded to Dubai and confined us in a hotel room.

“The woman who was with them threatened to kill me and my children although I had had a heart attack earlier. I fell several times but they thought that I was acting.  Then a settlement was reached for paying them Dh100,000 in cash and Dh150,000 by cheque.

"So we called YF to arrange the amount. He agreed to pay on condition that we are released first and gave them half an hour to think or he would call the police.  When they later allowed us to go home, we asked the hotel to arrange a car for us to go to a police station,” she testified.

A Pakistani typist, MMS, 31, whose car was used in the kidnapping, testified that he received a call from a Chinese friend who asked him for a car lift from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and back for Dh600.

“I agreed. There were seven people in the car including the two victims, four men and three women,” he testified.

YF, 52, Chinese salesman, testified that he received a call from the accused who asked him to arrange the amount.

“Later I got a call from the second victim who asked me for help and that she had a heart problem. So I notified Rashidiya police station,” he testified.

The court will reconvene on February 11.
 

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