A four-member gang that preyed on visitors to Dubai Mall has been apprehended by a specialized team of undercover police officers. According to a Khaleej Times report, the arrests followed an increase in pickpocketing incidents in busy pedestrian areas and popular tourist spots, prompting Dubai police to deploy officers in civilian clothes to safeguard visitors.
The gang, comprising three Azerbaijani men aged 28, 45, and 54, along with a 23-year-old man from Tajikistan, was caught in the act on March 6, 2024. Court documents reveal that the gang carefully planned their thefts. On the day of their arrest, they targeted the dancing fountain area of Dubai Mall, exploiting the crowd’s distraction. While pretending to enjoy the show, one gang member monitored a victim, and two others distracted her, allowing the fourth member to steal her mobile phone from her bag.
After the theft, the gang attempted to flee in different directions to confuse the victim. However, the undercover officers, who had been blending in with the crowd, observed the crime and apprehended the gang on the spot. Despite their efforts to dispose of the stolen phone before their arrest, surveillance cameras captured the entire operation, providing clear evidence of their coordinated actions.
“Following a recent increase in pickpocketing in crowded places like Dubai Mall, undercover security teams were established,” a police officer testified in court. The footage from the mall’s surveillance system corroborated the officers’ observations, showing the gang members working together to distract the victim and steal her phone.
During the investigation and subsequent court sessions held via remote communication, the defendants denied the charges. However, the Dubai Criminal Court found them guilty of forming a criminal group to steal from individuals in busy areas like shopping centers. Each member was sentenced to one month in prison and ordered to be deported upon completion of their sentences.