Dubai: A man is on trial for impersonating a police officer and kidnapping a businessman for ransom, the Dubai Court of First Instance heard on Monday.
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In March of this year, a Bangladeshi businessman received a call from a jobseeker asking him to meet behind Muraqabbat Police Station.
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An Asian job seeker met the businessman at 9pm when a white Nissan Patrol stopped beside them and a 39-year-old Emirati stepped out flashing a fake ‘police ID’.
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“He told me that he is a policeman and asked for my ID,” said the businessman. “He pulled me by my shirt claiming I was wanted and put me on the back seat of his car. He searched my car and found Dh13,000.”
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The defendant was sitting in the passenger seat while another Emirati man, who is still at large, was driving the vehicle.
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He told him that they knew he was working in drugs and prostitution as well as selling visas.
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“They asked for Dh100,000 in order not to take me to the police,” the victim added. “I denied their accusation and the defendant slapped me several times. They took me to the parking lots of Dubai Police headquarters in Al Ghusais and Al Aweer Central Jail and threatened to put me in jail.”
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At 4:30am, the victim called his friend asking him to provide the money and he told him that he can provide Dh27,000.
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The defendants agreed to release him with the promise that he would pay the rest of the money within two days.
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The victim went to Al Muraqabbat Police Station to report the incident and police arrested the defendant who was charged with kidnapping, posing as police and illegally obtaining the money.
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The trial has been adjourned until June 23.