Dubai: Three jobless men have been cleared of breaking into a supermarket and stealing Dh200,000 in cash and valuables from a safe.

The supermarket’s Indian manager was said to have been informed by one of his staff members that when the latter went to open the place at 6am, it had been broken into and the cash and valuables stolen from the safe in February.

After alerting the police, primary interrogations and on-site inspections unveiled the alleged involvement of three Pakistani men, aged between 29 and 32, and other men who remain at large.

They were believed to have used an iron saw and screwdriver to break into the supermarket and steal the safe.

Records said the safe contained Dh124,000 cash, 100 phones worth Dh50,000 and Dh26,000 worth of prepaid phone cards in addition to 12 passports that belongs to the supermarket staff.

Police apprehended the three jobless men and are still searching for the remaining suspects.

Citing lack of corroborated evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the trio of breaking into the store and causing Dh5,000 worth of damages to the safe, front door and display shelves.

The suspects pleaded not guilty in court.

They contended before the presiding judge that the runaway suspects were the ones who had carried out the heist.

The shop’s manager told prosecutors that he alerted the police about the heist when his staff informed him at 6am.

A police lieutenant said the suspects were apprehended in a sting operation in Hor Al Anz area.

“During questioning, the suspects claimed that they went along with the two fugitives to Al Quoz area, used the saw to cut the locks and enter the supermarket at 3am. They also admitted that they broke the display shelves and stole the phones, prepaid cards, cash and passports. They also said that they broke the safe with a hammer and split the stolen items between themselves, They then threw the passports in a garbage bin,” the police lieutenant told prosecutors.

However, the court cleared the trio of any wrongdoing.

The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 12 days.