Man fined Dh50,000 after his unlicensed gun was used in murder

Weapon was stolen from the Emirati man’s villa in emirate

Residential buildings in Fujairah. Sarah Dea / The National

The Fujairah Misdemeanours Court has fined an Emirati man Dh50,000 for keeping an unlicensed gun in his house that was stolen and used to murder another Emirati in 2021.

Judges were told the gun belonged to the defendant’s dead father but he was convicted of possessing an unlicensed firearm.

The man’s involvement came to light after police found a dead body behind the Eid prayer hall in the emirate on July 17 last year.

Investigations into the death of the victim, 39, led to the arrest of a Chinese man within two days.

Police said the dead man was the victim of a robbery and his attacker had fled in his car, leaving him bleeding severely.

The arrested man told police he broke into a villa in the neighbourhood to steal the gun.

The owner of the gun was summoned on the charge of possessing an unlicensed firearm. In court, he was convicted and fined Dh50,000 ($13,600).

Court proceedings against the Chinese man arrested in connection with the shooting are still under way.