Cable theft gang abandon vehicle and flee at sight of security guard, Dubai court hears

Only one of the men was tracked down, after a dropped cigarette butt in the abandoned vehicle led police to him.

Powered by automated translation

DUBAI // A gang loading stolen cables from a du signal station fled leaving their vehicle behind when they were spotted by a security guard, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said that on April 18 last year the 22-year-old Pakistani defendant and a number of unidentified men stopped their van near the du station in Jebel Ali at about 4pm and broke the lock to gain entry.

The men started cutting cables and loading them into their van when a security guard who was patrolling the area spotted them.

“They left everything behind, even the vehicle, and ran away,” said the Nepalese guard, 35. He called police.

The vehicle had a stolen plate number but DNA on a cigarette butt found inside the van led to the identity of the Pakistani defendant, who by the time he was found was already in jail in relation to another theft case.

“We questioned him and he denied taking part in the incident but when we confronted him with the DNA evidence, he confessed and said his role was to keep guard for the men until they loaded the stolen cables,” said an Emirati policeman, 38.

He said that the other men could not be identified because the suspect knew only their first names.

The defendant denied a charge of theft. A verdict is expected on January 15.

salamir@thenational.ae