A policeman working for the Dubai Police’s ‘Lost and Found’ department is accused of stealing Dh43,170 put in his custody, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

First Corporal IA’s mother has handed over to Dubai Public Prosecution the amount her son is accused of stealing.

The Lost and Found section is assigned to receive lost and found items and cash from all police stations.

On April 28, at around 9.30am two representative from Al Barsha Police Station handed over a number of boxes that contained lost items, including a box that contained cash.

The accused grabbed the opportunity as there was only one colleague in office and took the brown box that contained cash to his desk.

He opened the box and found different amounts in plastic sacks; he pulled one of them, which, looked like containing the largest amount, inserted it in his pocket and closed the box.

His colleague who was in the office noticed that.

The missing of the amount was discovered when officers were checking the items to prepare the report.

Later, the staffer who was in the office together with IA informed that he noticed the latter opening the box.

Officers proposed searching the staff cars. IA refused saying that he is not a thief and nobody can search his car.

An official complaint was lodged with Al Qusais Police station and testimonies of all the staff involved in the operation were taken.

Some of the staff suspected IA who was behaving abnormally. IA was investigated and admitted to stealing a sack from the box which contained a total of Dh43,170.

IA admitted that he spent the whole amount on his car and his pleasure.

The accused failed to attend the hearing and the court adjourned the case until November 16.