Thieves posing as police set off tear gas in home raid

DUBAI // Three men burst into a home and, pretending to be policemen, began searching the rooms before setting off tear gas canisters and fleeing with cash and a mobile phone, a court heard yesterday.

The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance was told that SE, 19, and two other men had stolen the tear gas from an undisclosed location on December 15. One of the alleged accomplices is being tried separately while the other remains at large. SE did not appear in court yesterday.

SD, a 33-year-old Indian painter, told prosecutors that recently, at about 10pm, as he and his roommates were sitting on the floor eating dinner, SE and his accomplices burst in. They pretended to be policemen, he testified. They started searching the home, then set off the tear gas canisters. SD said SE took about Dh1,500 and a mobile phone before fleeing.

Despite the gas, the residents managed to grab one of the men as he attempted to escape and called police.

The next hearing will be on July 20 to summon SE.

salamir@thenational.ae