Dubai Two men have been accused of forcing their way into two vacant villas after midnight and stealing around Dh277,000 worth jewellery and valuables, a court heard on Monday.

The Chinese men, aged 30 and 27, armed with a hammer, a screwdriver and a crowbar headed to Al Barsha, according to records, and broke into an Emirati businessman’s villa and stole Dh147,000 worth of jewellery and valuables.

Then they drove to Arabian Ranches and broke into the villa of a businesswoman, who was away, and stole Dh130,000 worth of valuables.

Records said the two heists happened in May and June 2015.

Following his wife’s demise, the Emirati businessman was believed to have moved tentatively to live in another emirate and during that period his villa was burgled.

Upon his return to his villa, the businessman’s cleaner and housemaid were the first to have discovered that a thief or more had broken into the place, wrecked the safe and stole valuables and jewellery from it.

Shortly after the Emirati reported the matter to the police, a number of other similar burglaries were also reported.

In another complaint, a businesswoman reported to the police that her villa at the Arabian Ranches was burgled.

Primary interrogations by police discovered that two Chinese suspects aged 30 and 27 had been involved in the two heists. Records said the Chinese duo were identified for their involvement in heists that had been carried out earlier the same way.

Prosecutors accused the Chinese duo of using heavy tools to force their way into the two villas and stealing valuables and jewellery.

According to the accusation sheet, prosecutors charged the duo and a third suspect who remains at large of committing two break-ins and thefts.

The Chinese suspects pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.

“We were not present in the UAE at the time when the heists took place,” the 30-year-old suspect contended before presiding judge Urfan Omar.

A police lieutenant told prosecutors: “We apprehended the suspects. During questioning, they admitted that they drove a rented car to Al Barsha and Arabian Ranches and looked out for empty villas to rob. They claimed that they climbed the two villas’ walls, used the crowbar, hammer and screwdriver to broke into the villas and stole from safes.”

The businesswoman told prosecutors that she found footprints on the floor inside her villa when she returned.

A ruling in the case will be announced on May 31.