Photo for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Dubai: Gang jailed, fined for stealing bitcoin, valuables worth Dh30,000

A four-person gang was given a three-year prison term for robbing a bitcoin trader of assets valued at more than Dh45,000, including cryptocurrency. The group was found guilty by the Dubai Criminal Court, and after they had served their time in jail, the court ordered their deportation. One of the defendants used to be the victim's driver. According to court documents, he initially requested a meeting with her and informed her that he wanted to acquire bitcoin from her. When the woman arrived, however, she was shocked when the man suddenly got into the car and sat next to her, showing a "badge" from his country's police force. He told her that she was accused of corruption. When she tried to run away, the rest of the gang stormed in, forced her to sit at the back, and drove for two hours until they reached an area she didn't know, court records show. The men surrounded her and forced her to give them her phone's password. In addition to stealing Dh8,000 in cash and her handbag worth Dh7,200, the gang also stole 8,000 bitcoins, totaling the stolen amount to Dh30,000. They took a picture of her and threatened to hurt her if she called the police. She caught a glimpse of their automobile's license plate when they got out of the car, which the police used to locate the suspects. Within a short time, the Dubai Police detained the suspects and reported them to the Public Prosecution. They were deported and given a three-year prison term and a Dh45,200 fine by the Criminal Court. BKM/ Expat Media
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