Jail term doubled for forging passports and fake diamond scam

DUBAI // A businessman who forged passports and sold fake diamonds has had his one-year sentence doubled by the Court of Appeals.

E H, 40, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, denied making counterfeit DRC, Canadian and UN passports.

He also denied forging exit stamps on them and making other documents.

“After police arrested me they searched my car without permission and seized the passports which are not mine,” he said in court in February.

He was also charged with conning a man out of Dh770,000 as part of a fake diamond scam.

The victim, D K, said E H was one of three men he met in July last year who said they could sell him diamonds at a low price. They showed him a sample and agreed on a price.

But D K found the sealed packages they delivered contained glass.

Police said that during interrogation the defendant confessed that he was part of the group, but he denied it in court.

He was sentenced to a year in jail to be followed by deportation but he appealed the verdict.

He lost his appeal and had his jail term doubled. He will be deported after completing his term.