DUBAI // Two men suspected of stealing luxury goods worth millions of dirhams from affluent Dubai homes have been arrested, police said today. The two African men allegedly broke into the homes of at least 20 residents in the upmarket Mirdif, Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim neighbouhoods and stole money, jewellery, electronic goods, perfumes and antiques during April and May. The pair targeted quiet neighbourhoods between 7am and 9am when they least expected the owners to be at home, according to Col Khalil Ibrahim al Mansouri, head of Dubai Police CID. The men, from Tanzania, targeted empty houses, often spending more than five hours searching the property for valuables. Police said in a statement the total value of goods stolen by the men ran into the "millions of dirhams". "One would knock on the door and the other would scout the house and keep a look out in the early hours of the morning when people would usually have left to work or are taking their children to school and if there was no answer they broke into the property by using their tools," said Col al Mansouri. The break-ins started late in April and by the first week of May they had broken into seven homes. During that week, Dubai Police realised they had a prolific organised criminal gang at work. At first, police received complaints from the Mirdiff area. Reports of the thieves targeting houses in other areas such as Jumeirah, Umm Sequim and Umm Shaif quickly followed. Police arrested the first of the two men while he was scouting a neighbourhood in Mirdiff on June 1. Police said he confessed to the crime following a "brief" interrogation. The police then swooped in to seize the other suspect in a Deira hotel and arrested him as he was trying to flee towards the airport. The case has now been referred to the Public Prosecution where further investigations would be carried out.
shafez@thenational.ae
