DUBAI // A member of the Pink Panther gang that stole jewellery worth more than Dh14 million from the Wafi mall a decade ago has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
In April 2007, the 34-year-old Serbian helped a number of unidentified men smash their way into the high-end mall using two stolen cars before stealing jewellery from the Graff store.
The gang used toy guns to terrorise staff and customers before smashing display cases and snatching jewellery.
The defendant was also convicted of forging a passport and visa, which he used to enter the UAE.
In court, he admitted to using a Yugoslavian passport to enter the UAE but denied any involvement in the robbery.
Fingerprints lifted from the crime scene matched those found at robberies in Monaco, Switzerland and Serbia.
The man was arrested in Spain and a police officer from Dubai was assigned to fly to Madrid to bring him to the UAE in October 2015. He will be deported after serving his jail term.
salamir@thenational.ae
