A Dubai civil court has ordered five men to jointly return Dh600,000 to a victim after they were found to have stolen the money by pretending to be police officers. In addition to repaying the stolen amount, the court also directed them to pay Dh50,000 in compensation for material and moral damages, plus legal interest of five percent from the date the case was filed until full settlement.
The ruling stemmed from a civil case filed by the victim following a final criminal judgment that had already convicted the defendants of theft through impersonation of law enforcement personnel. The victim sought the return of the stolen money, interest, and additional damages based on the earlier criminal conviction.
Court records showed that the incident happened late at night in a commercial area. The suspects stopped the victim near an office building, showed what appeared to be a military identification card, and claimed to be investigators. They searched him, seized his mobile phone, bank cards, and a bag containing Dh600,000, and told him to wait for another unit before escaping.
After the crime was reported, authorities identified and arrested the suspects, who were later convicted by a criminal court. Each was sentenced to six months in jail, fined Dh600,000, and ordered deported. When the defendants failed to appear during the civil proceedings despite proper notification, the court relied on the binding criminal judgment and ruled them jointly liable for both the financial loss and the emotional harm suffered by the victim.
