LONDON // A UAE Embassy official carrying millions of pounds of cash was held up in a brazen daylight robbery in an affluent area of London, the UK press reported yesterday.
Three armed gunmen held up the diplomat as he loaded £2 million (Dh11.7m) in cash into a limousine outside a branch of Emirates NBD in Knightsbridge.
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Richard Jones, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the robbery took place at about 4pm on Friday June 24. He declined to give further details of the incident saying it may prejudice a trial.
The official was reportedly withdrawing the cash on behalf of members of the Dubai Royal family visiting London and was loading it into a waiting car with the assistance of bank staff when the robbery took place.
"The four men became aware of a male standing close by who pulled out a firearm and said 'give me the money or I'll blow your brains out'," the Daily Mail reported, citing an unnamed source. "A car was stopped by a diplomatic protection crew 20 minutes later."
It is believed that the alleged thieves would have required inside information to carry out the raid.
The suspects appeared in West London Magistrates' Court on Monday, both charged with robbery and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear. They were remanded in custody and will appear at Isleworth Crown Court on September 13.
Tamara Mufti, a spokeswoman from the UAE Embassy in London, declined to comment.
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Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
