'Fake officer' who kidnapped, robbed driver gets six months

He took Dh10,000 in shakedown after telling man he was involved in an illegal act.

Powered by automated translation

DUBAI // A man will spend six months in prison for posing as a police officer to kidnap and rob a taxi driver in October 2010.

The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance convicted OA, 26, Emirati, of pretending with another man to be from the Criminal Investigation Department on October 1, 2010, as they approached two Bangladeshi drivers.

They forced one driver, MR, to ride with them, telling him they were taking him to Dubai Central Jail in Al Aweer.

When they arrived, OA told MR he was involved in an illegal act, and told the driver to pay him Dh10,000 to overlook his criminal actions.

OA told MR he was using Etisalat services illegally.

Prosecutors also charged OA with taking the man's mobile phone and his roommate's laptop after they drove him to his residence.

They said OA confessed to committing the crime along with the other man, identified as AG. AG remains at large.

MR, 31, testified that AG called him, identified himself as a police officer and asked him to come to Al Qouz area. When he arrived, AG and OA tried to shake him down, he said.

SL, the other driver, testified that one of the defendants was carrying a walkie-talkie and told him he was a police officer.

salamir@thenational.ae