Gang ‘robs three money-transfer vans in a day, making off with Dh1.4 million’

Sharjah Police arrest 19 members of alleged African gang who stole almost Dh2 million from vans in two days in December.

SHARJAH // An African gang robbed three money-transfer vehicles in a single day, stealing Dh1.4 million in the process, police said.

Nineteen people were arrested in Sharjah in connection with a spree of armed robberies targeting the vehicles across the country in December. The thieves allegedly stole a total of Dh1.73m.

Police said the first incident was reported on King Faisal Street at 8am one day. Four members assaulted the security guards and got away with Dh320,000.

A few days later, the gang robbed a vehicle on Al Ittihad Road, at Al Safeer Mall at 2pm, and got away with Dh700,000. At 8pm the same day they attacked another vehicle in Muwaileh, assaulting the guards before fleeing with Dh710,000.

An hour later, the group tried to rob another vehicle on Mohammed bin Zayed Road, near National Paints, but police managed to apprehend them.

Col Aref Al Bayat said the gang used knives, hammers and wooden sticks in the attacks.

“They assaulted security personnel when they robbed the vehicles, and they assaulted two police officers while they were surrounded by police at their last robbery,” he said.

Most of them were tourists, he said, and in breach of the residency law.

“We have been able to retrieve part of the stolen money. Some of the gang members wired money outside the country,” Col Al Bayat said.

He said a police search led to the arrest of the rest of the gang in an overcrowded apartment in Sharjah.

“Officers found drugs in the apartment, which was shared with about 40 people from the same nationality,” he said.

The gang was referred to prosecutors to face trial.