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Two men have been arrested over the theft of a diamond necklace in a night-time raid at a luxury hotel in Dubai.
Police said the pair, from Eastern Europe, wore wigs and face masks and used a glass cutter during the the theft at the hotel's jewellery shop.
They were stopped by officials as they tried to board a flight out of Dubai airport only hours later.
The theft on Sunday, July 3, was made public by officials on Wednesday. Police did not disclose the name of the hotel but said it was in Al Sufouh area, near The Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina.
In a sophisticated police operation, the Dubai Police have recently arrested two Europeans for stealing expensive jewellery from a store within 12 hours of receiving the theft report, despite using deceptive methods of disguise, including eyeglasses and wigs.#Operation_Tracker pic.twitter.com/JSRNeXnoaL
— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) July 27, 2022
The theft took place at 1.30am when the hotel was quiet. Officers said there was evidence that one of the suspects had scoped out potential targets in 2020.
He was said to have visited several jewellery shops, including the scene of the alleged crime. He was found to have left the country and returned this month with his alleged accomplice.
Both men flew into the city on the same flight but avoided contact with each other, police said. They met at a hotel in Deira to prepare for the break-in, police said.
CCTV footage reportedly showed the two men wearing shorts and T-shirts during the day, but police said they changed their clothes at a building site some distance from the jewellers.
Police traced the men to Dubai International Airport later that morning.
The suspects have been referred to public prosecutors and the investigation continues.