DUBAI // A Pakistani man hacked into a local government website and forged nearly 500 trade licences, a Dubai court was told.
The suspect is accused of entering the website of the Dubai Department of Economic Development by obtaining employees’ passwords without authorisation.
He then forged 491 trade licences and delivered them to the applicants, Dubai Criminal Court heard, according to Aletihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National.
In another case, an Indian computer operator is accused of forging 90 lease contracts issued by the Dubai Land Department’s Ejari system.
The suspect was allegedly aided by a representative and government employee, both from GCC countries, who approved the data in the forged contracts in the electronic system of the Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, in a bid to obtain new family residence visas and affix them on passports.
The court heard that the representative took advantage of her relationship with the employee’s sister and executed the transactions through her. She received Dh920,000 from the third suspect in the case, another Indian computer operator, of which Dh20,000 was found on her.
The employee forged 127 residence visas, including 113 family residence visas, according to the Public Prosecution. The case was adjourned until August 16.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
