Dubai // Two men got more than they bargained for when they allegedly tried to steal Dh1.43 million outside a bank.
The British duo attempted to steal the money from two customers who had cashed three cheques, police said yesterday.
One of the men pretended to be a policeman and told the two victims they were parked incorrectly and asked them to step out of the vehicle, police said. While they were distracted, his partner stole the bag of money and ran off.
A witness informed the victim what had happened and they then chased and caught the first thief, S O, 49, within seconds.
The alleged incident took place at about noon on Sunday outside the Emirates NDB bank in Rigga and the details were revealed by Dubai Police chief, Maj Gen Khamis Mattar Al Muzeina, yesterday.
The second man, Y H, 53, was arrested the following day near the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.
It is believed Y H had previously come into contact with the law over robberies in the UK.
Maj Gen Al Muzeina urged the public not to carry large amounts of money in cash.
He said the criminals had travelled to the UAE previously and noticed that people tend to carry large sums of money.
Police did not say what legal charges the men would face or when or if they would appear in court.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
