LONDON // A UAE Embassy official carrying millions of pounds of cash was held up in a brazen daylight robbery in an affluent area of London, the UK press reported yesterday.
Three armed gunmen held up the diplomat as he loaded £2 million (Dh11.7m) in cash into a limousine outside a branch of Emirates NBD in Knightsbridge.
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Richard Jones, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the robbery took place at about 4pm on Friday June 24. He declined to give further details of the incident saying it may prejudice a trial.
The official was reportedly withdrawing the cash on behalf of members of the Dubai Royal family visiting London and was loading it into a waiting car with the assistance of bank staff when the robbery took place.
"The four men became aware of a male standing close by who pulled out a firearm and said 'give me the money or I'll blow your brains out'," the Daily Mail reported, citing an unnamed source. "A car was stopped by a diplomatic protection crew 20 minutes later."
Two men, Johnathon Hayes, 36, from Horley in Surrey and Trevor Mair, 45, from Croydon, were arrested, the police confirmed. Another man is understood to have escaped.
It is believed that the alleged thieves would have required inside information to carry out the raid.
The suspects appeared in West London Magistrates' Court on Monday, both charged with robbery and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear. They were remanded in custody and will appear at Isleworth Crown Court on September 13.
Tamara Mufti, a spokeswoman from the UAE Embassy in London, declined to comment.
