A gold trader was stripped naked, burnt with a hot knife and robbed of more than Dh15,000 after being lured to a hotel by the offer of a massage from a woman he befriended on Facebook, a court heard.
The Indian victim, 36, had turned up to the woman's hotel room on her invitation - only to be attacked by a gang of three men after he arrived, Dubai Criminal Court was told
The men allegedly stole his wallet, containing Dh800 and his credit card, and burnt several parts of his body with the heated-up knife in a bid to force him to reveal his bank code.
He refused to give up the code but two of the men found it on his phone and used his card to withdraw more than Dh15,000 from his account.
The victim had struck up a friendship with the woman on Facebook, and they exchanged messages on WhatsApp to set up the meeting on July 6 of last year.
“When I got there, she opened the door and led me into a dark room. Then, just as she locked the door, three men showed up and started assaulting me,” said the victim.
“I was stripped naked and burnt with a hot knife before they threatened to kill me, but I still refused to give them the code. However, they found it in my phone and two of them left and withdrew Dh15,000,” he said.
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The man’s legs and arms were tied up then his credit card and phone were given back to him before the attackers escaped and left him in the room, court records stated.
The man managed to untie himself and call police.
Two Nigerian suspects, both 32, were arrested as they tried to leave the country.
The third attacker remains at large.
It was not disclosed in court whether any charges had yet been laid against the woman involved in the matter.
The two men were charged with confining the gold trader, assault and stealing his credit card, cash and phone.
They were also charged with using his credit card to steal Dh15,000 with the help of unidentified men.
They were additionally charged with assaulting the man's modesty by stripping him naked by force and with using passports that do not belong them.
The pair pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the Dubai Criminal Court.
The next hearing will be on September 10.
