DUBAI // Two brothers have been arrested for stealing cars in Dubai and Sharjah then smuggling the vehicles out of the country using forged export certificates. The men, from an unspecified Arab country, were detained after police received a tip-off. Sixteen cars had been confiscated, five of them in different ports, and more were believed to have been illegally exported, police said. Their investigations are continuing.
MM, the alleged mastermind behind the crimes, was arrested after an investigation team confirmed his involvement, said Major Saed al Ayali, the head of Dubai Police's criminal investigation section. His brother, AM, was taken into custody during a raid at their flat, where authorities found three car keys. "When asked about the keys, the suspects said they all belonged to old cars that no longer existed, but we were able to find the three cars in the parking area in the basement," said Maj al Ayali.
An additional 14 keys were discovered in one of the cars in the car park. Four vehicle registration cards and five fake export certificates were also found. Investigations revealed that MM had been in charge of the gang since its former leader was imprisoned for other car-theft cases, police said. MM allegedly sent car registration numbers to a forgery expert via e-mail, enabling the forger to create counterfeit export certificates. That person would then send the certificates to the UAE through intermediaries who flew into the country. @Email:wissa@thenational.ae
