Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

A European woman will spend a month behind bars and face deportation after stealing a branded handbag worth Dh7,000 from a store in a Dubai shopping mall. The Dubai Misdemeanour Court handed down the sentence after convicting the woman of theft. Following her jail term, she will be deported. The incident took place in October 2024. A salesperson at the luxury handbag store said the theft occurred after a group of five — one man and four women — entered the shop to browse. "They asked about the prices of some items and then left. It was only after that I noticed the handbag was missing," the salesperson said. Security camera footage revealed the suspect discreetly taking the handbag while the salesperson was distracted by her companions. The Dubai Police were called in and launched a search for the woman. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reviewed the CCTV footage and tracked down the suspect. She was arrested and later confessed to stealing the handbag while shopping at the mall with her siblings. ICA/Expat Media
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