Trio who stole Dh2m worth of cables to see out jail terms

One of the men was tracked down by police after they found traces of his DNA on a water bottle at the scene of the crime

Three men who stole Dh2 million worth of electrical cables will see out their jail terms after losing an appeal for a reduced sentence.

On October 2, Dubai Police were called to a warehouse in Jebel Ali from where the cables were stolen. During a sweep of the crime scene, police found a water bottle that, when tested for DNA, led them to one of the three accused.

Prosecutors said the Pakistani man, 28, had been deported from the UAE but illegally re-entered the country and carried out several thefts.

Police tracked him down and arrested him. During questioning he admitted to using a bolt cutter to enter the warehouse and steal the cables with a Pakistani accomplice.
The accused also told police about a third accomplice, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi man, with whom they stashed the stolen cables before selling them to a scrap shop in Sharjah's Industrial area.
At Dubai Criminal Court in January, the two Pakistani men were charged with theft and damaging property while the third Bangladeshi accused was charged with possessing stolen items. They each denied the charges in court but were convicted of their crimes.

The following month, the Pakistani pair were sentenced to two years in prison each while the Bangladeshi accused was sentenced to one year in jail.
At Dubai Court of Appeal on Sunday, each of the men lost their bids for a reduced sentence and will be deported upon serving their jail terms.