Four people were sentenced to three years in jail for robbing a bitcoin trader of over Dh45,000 in goods, including Bitcoin. The trio was found guilty by the Dubai Criminal Court and ordered deported after serving their prison sentences.
One of the defendants used to work as a private driver for the victim, according to court records. He approached her first, acting as a bitcoin buyer, and invited her to meet with him. When the woman arrived, however, the man jumped into the car and sat next to her, flashing a “badge” from his country’s police department. He informed her that she had been accused of corruption. When she tried to flee, the rest of the gang jumped in, forced her to sit in the back, and drove for two hours until they were in an area she was unfamiliar with.
The men encircled her and forced her to give them the passcode to her phone. The group then grabbed 8,000 bitcoins worth Dh30,000 from her account and Dh8,000 in cash, including her Dh7,200 purse. They photographed her and threatened her with harm if she filed a police report.
Fortunately, as the gang exited the vehicle, the victim was able to glimpse the car’s license plate. This information enabled the police to locate and apprehend them. The suspects were quickly apprehended by Dubai Police and referred to the Public Prosecution. They were convicted to three years in prison, fined Dh45,200, and will be deported by the Criminal Court.
