Dubai — Five men who broke into a college professor’s villa and stole Dh65,000 in cash and valuables while he was on a family holiday abroad, have been jailed for six months each.
The American college professor had accompanied his family on their annual summer holiday in July 2016.
Three days later, the villa’s gardener called up the professor to ask him if he had left the villa doors open before he travelled.
Suspecting that his villa could have been broken into, the American asked his nephew to check out his residence in Mirdif.
The nephew discovered that the villa had been broken into and stolen.
The nephew called the police and primary interrogation led the arrest of five Sri Lankan men who had been involved in robberies committed using the same modus operandi.
On Monday, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the five defendants, aged between 29 and 49, of using a screwdriver to break the villa’s locks, trespassing into the house and stealing.
Records said they stole Dh15,000 in cash and Dh50,000 worth of jewellery and valuables that included diamonds, earrings, wristwatches, ancient dagger and wallets.
The accused had all pleaded not guilty.
Presiding judge Urfan Omar said the five culprits would be deported after serving their sentences.
