Three men stole Dh30,000 from market, court hears

The burglarized the store overnight but were caught unloading the goods, prosecutors say.

DUBAI // Two unemployed men and an office worker were accused of breaking into a supermarket at dawn and stealing items worth Dh30,000, as well as cash, a court heard this morning.

Two of the suspects, identified MZ, 31, unemployed, and SA, 31, an office worker, both from Pakistan, both confessed to using an iron bar to break the Shabab al Madina supermarket's lock before entering and stealing goods and cash, records show.

MJ, 32, unemployed, also from Pakistan, denied participating in the theft before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance. 

Records showed that the 57-year-old Indian part-owner of the market shut it down around midnight on October 24, 2010, then headed home. 

He told investigators that about 4.30am, he woke up to a call from police who told him the supermarket had been robbed, records said. 

When PA arrived at the supermarket, he noticed that the items stolen included electronic devices, wristwatches, food, perfumes, creams, mobile phones, bags, and cigarettes. 

He told investigators that money was also stolen from the cash drawers.

He said the 200 stolen watches were worth about Dh1,500 while the electronic devices were worth at least Dh14,000. The mobile phones stolen from the shop were worth about Dh8,000, the owner told investigators. 

AM, a police officer, told investigators that while patrolling Al Qouz, he noticed a pickup truck parked in front of a workshop with three men unloading items, records said.

AM said one of the suspects told him the items belonged to a friend, which aroused the officer's suspicions.

He called the operations room, and it confirmed that two burglary cases had occurred in the area overnight.

The three suspects were arrested and referred to prosecution, records show. 

A verdict is expected on March 1.

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