Black magic gang dupes duo out of $1m

Three Sudanese received two years in jail for conning two Algerians of $950,000 after convincing them that they are under magic spells.

The Dubai Criminal Court also ordered BS,40; MA, 48; and AH, 53, to pay Dh10,000 fine each.

The accused are also found guilty of possessing forged $349,000.

They were ordered to be deported after serving their jail sentence.

The first victim, SS, 44, Algerian met BS two years ago through a mutual Sudanese friend.

BS offered to help SS and his friend NT, 37 to start sheep trade business between Sudan and Algeria.

“After a number of meeting with BS, we decided that I shall pay him $30,000 to finish procedures for setting up a company. My friend NT, and I went to his residence in Ajman and handed over the amount to him. While we were in his house, he showed us large quantity of US$ notes telling that he is in a good financial position. He also gave us some of the notes and asked to exchange them and check them if they were genuine. We took the notes and headed to a money exchange company where we were assured that the notes were genuine. After, we returned to his house he asked us to extend the partnership and asked us to pay him $150,000,” said the first Algerian.

The two Algerians arranged for $150,000 and handed the amount to the Sudanese at a café in Abu Hail area.

Later, the Sudanese convinced the two Algerians that they were under magic spells and demonic attacks and offered to cure them. “He would ask us to wash ourselves with perfumed water and used incense sticks for rituals. After a couple of months he told us that only his friend, AA, could help us further,” testified SS.

The Algerians managed the amount through friends in France. “AA treated us for six months. We paid him $200,000 each in installments,” SS added.

Then one day AA disappeared. But BS informed them that another friend of his, MA, will come from Sudan specifically to continue their treatment. He asked SS to rent a flat for MA.

“BS also told us that the new therapist will return our money by asking ‘jins’ to bring them down from the sky,” testified NT – the other victim.

However, MA told them that their earlier treatment was wrong. “He asked my friend to pay him $130,000 and me $40,000 so that he could start treating us from the beginning. I was asked to pay another $40,000 to a man who used to accompany MA,” said NT.

NT said that he paid the swindlers about $400,000 while his friend SS paid them a total of $550,000. That’s when they realised they were being conned and informed police.

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