Armed gang admits to stealing electrical cables worth thousands in UAE

DUBAI // An armed gang today confessed to stealing electrical cables worth more than Dh40,000 after being caught red-handed at a villa under construction.

The five Bangladeshi men - JR, 32, AK, 30, MA, 27, AM, 27 and EA, 25 - are charged with armed robbery, attempted armed robbery and forming a gang that caused damage to electric cables owned by others, though they deny stealing cables worth Dh120,000, the Dubai Criminal Court heard today.

Prosecutors said that they used sharp tools to cut electric cables owned by Desert Field and Dubart Contracting companies from two villa under construction. The cables were found to be worth Dh43,000.

The gang sneaked into the villas at night and cut the cables, said prosecutors, but they were caught at a villa belonging to Emirati HE as they were trying to load the cables into a vehicle and escape.

The men await a verdict on December 23.

salamir@thenational.ae