DUBAI // Three men broke into a villa and stole Dh1 million worth of valuables while the owner was overseas on holiday, a court has heard.
Dubai Criminal Court was told that only one of the three Sri Lankans, a 47-year-old, had been arrested. He was stopped at Sharjah International Airport but his two compatriots had already flown home with most of the stolen goods.
Prosecutors said that in August last year, the three broke into the villa of an Emirati in Al Muhaisnah 1, and used a hammer and crowbar to force open an iron safe in one of the bedrooms. The owner was in Belgium with his family.
They stole jewellery, money, watches and expensive pens, the court was told.
“My mother sent her maid to clean up the house for our return and the maid found the place in a mess, so she called my mother who sent my two brothers to check,” said the owner, 37.
An Emirati policeman said the arrested man confessed that he and the other two had agreed in Sri Lanka to obtain visiting visas to the UAE and steal valuables from houses before escaping.
“They noticed that no people were in this house and after keeping it under surveillance for a few days to make sure no one was there, they jumped the wall and broke in,” said the officer.
In court on Monday morning, the man denied a theft charge and the next hearing has been scheduled for November 28.
salamir@thenational.ae
