Five arrested over Dh22m robbery

Police have recovered about Dh15 million of the stolen money.

DUBAI // Five people have been arrested in connection with a Dh22 million robbery in Burjuman last month.

RB and MR, from an undisclosed European country, were carrying $6 million in cash when they were robbed. Police have not said why they were carrying such a large amount.

They were attacked in a basement parking area on the evening of March 28 by four masked men with knives.

One of the victims was seriously injured and the other suffered moderate injuries, but managed to get away and report the crime.

The victim was unable to give much information about the attackers, but told police he had seen them leave the parking area in a black saloon car. He could not identify the make of the car and gave police several possibilities to go on, including a Jaguar.

Police found that a black Jaguar had been stolen at the time.

The car was tracked through CCTV footage and police identified two of the alleged robbers. The men were also seen using a second stolen car, a black Chrysler.

Brigadier Khalil al Mansouri, head of the Criminal Investigation department, said they arrested the first two men, MM and BK, both from Russia.

At the time of arrest, they were carrying more than $20,000 and Dh8,000 in cash.

Further investigation revealed a connection between the two men arrested and a middle-aged woman from Russia, SF. She entered the country immediately after the robbery and was living in a hotel apartment in Sharjah. Police believe her job was to smuggle the stolen money abroad.

After searching her apartment, police recovered more than $1m hidden above a false ceiling in her bathroom. A further $21,000 was found in her possession.

Confessions obtained from the three arrested led to the arrest of a fourth, RA, who also confessed.

The fifth person charged, GB, led police to a car where he had hidden two bags of US currency, that together contained about $4.5m.