Gang who attacked Dubai businessman with a meat cleaver and robbed him of Dh3 million locked up for a total of 28 years

Four attackers tied up victim and friend before fleeing with huge haul of cash

A criminal gang who posed as apartment buyers before attacking a businessman and his friend with a meat cleaver and fleeing with more than Dh3 million in cash have been jailed for a total of 28 years.

The four tricksters, all from the Cameroon, visited the victim at his apartment in Dubai Marina under the pretense of buying the property in order to carry out the robbery.

Two of the gang had set up the meeting at the apartment last September.

The Iranian businessman, 53, was present with his Afghan friend in the flat when the would-be buyers arrived along with two others and assaulted them and tied them up, before stealing a bag containing the cash.

The businessman and his friend managed to free themselves shortly after and alert police.

Police arrested the four men and said other suspects remained at large.

The four were charged with facilitating crime, assaulting the businessman and his friend and stealing Dh3.15 million, 2 mobiles and a jacket, which they denied in court last June.

They were convicted of the crimes and each was jailed for seven years.

“The two of them who called me, were referred to me by two brokers who are now at large. When we met at the flat, they assaulted me and my friend with a meat cleaver,” said the businessman.

“After receiving the businessman’s call, a police patrol was dispatched to the location where they were found bleeding,” a policeman said in records.

Police said some of the money was recovered.

The four defendants will be deported after serving their prison terms.