DUBAI // Three men kidnapped a businessman and told his wife they would kill him if she did not wire them Dh400,000, the Criminal Court heard today.
AT, a 45-year-old from India, had recently returned from a two-month visit to his home country when he received a call from a former business associate, NA, a 38-year-old Pakistani. The businessman said he owned a shop in Deira about two years ago and that this was how he knew the Pakistani.
"A year ago I shut down the shop and my relationship with him ended since it was a business relationship," said the businessman.
However, he agreed to meet the Pakistani on May 15 in Al Satwa and was taken to a building in Al Aweer where he was told they would have a meeting.
Instead, the Pakistani, helped by his 28-year-old compatriot AJ and the 30-year-old SK, from Afghanistan, locked him in a room. His former business associate then told him he owed him Dh411,000 from their time working together two years ago.
The businessman was kept in the room for five days and was only allowed to call his wife and sister in India to tell them to wire the money. On the final day the kidnappers told the wife that if the money was not received by the end of the day they would kill her husband. She then called her brother-in-law in Dubai and he informed the police.
Officers from Bur Dubai and Rashidiya stations tracked the kidnappers to a small building in Al Aweer and arrested them.
All three deny kidnapping charges.
The next hearing was scheduled for September 23.
salamir@thenational.ae
