Picture for illustrative purposes only. DUBAI POLICE

Five Asian men have been sentenced to three years in prison each for robbing a villa in Dubai’s Jebel Ali while the residents were away on holiday. All five, whose identities have been withheld, will be deported after serving their sentences, the Dubai Criminal Court ruled. According to records, the group broke into the villa in March and stole a safe containing foreign currencies, gold jewellery, luxury watches, cheques, and 10 old mobile phones that the homeowner had collected. The case came to light when a European woman returned with her family from vacation to find the villa's front door unlocked and the house ransacked. A Dubai Police officer said that surveillance footage and rental vehicle records led to the identification of the suspects. One of the robbers had leased the car used in the crime, and all five were later located at a rented apartment in another emirate. Police recovered the stolen items during the arrest operation, and the court subsequently convicted them of theft and unauthorized entry with intent to commit a crime. ICA/Expat Media
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