Dubai: Dubai Police have uncovered the identity of and dismantled an eight-member gang, including a woman, that stole luxury oud valued at AED12 million from a merchant. Officers arrested four suspects and recovered the stolen luxury oud in less than 12 hours from the time the crime was committed, while Red Notices have been issued for four remaining suspects-including the woman who impersonated a princess during the robbery.
According to Emirates News Agency, the gang utilised an elaborate ruse involving a fake princess and a staged VIP reception to deceive the trader. The crime began when two gang members visited a luxury oud boutique in a local market, convincing the merchant and shop owner that a prominent princess was coming to Dubai and wished to purchase a substantial quantity of premium oud for a very large sum of money.
Deceived by their story, the trader prepared a large selection of his finest inventory, contacted them to express his desire to meet the alleged princess, and both parties agreed on a meeting. To execute the plot, the gang set up a modern villa to deceive the merchant, hiring security personnel, organising a high-end reception, and preparing a lavish dinner to convince him that he was indeed meeting a princess.
During the meeting at the villa, the merchant presented the premium oud he had brought for the princess in his personal bags. The gang requested that the oud be placed in alternative bags fitting for the princess's status instead of the bags he brought. The merchant agreed to their request, took out the luxury oud, and placed it in the bags they provided.
The alleged princess arrived, met the trader, and requested to finalise the purchase procedures. Following her departure, the gang members asked the trader to wait while the oud was taken out and returned to his personal bags, promising to contact him the next day to complete the transaction.
The gang members exploited this opportunity to substitute ordinary wood into the merchant's bags instead of returning the luxury oud, and then handed them back to him. The next day, the trader attempted to call them, but their phones were turned off. Upon opening the bags, he discovered the theft and that the oud had been replaced with ordinary wood.
Following a report filed through the Command and Control Centre, the General Department of Criminal Investigation immediately formed a specialised task force that headed to the villa. The team initiated investigations using the latest technologies, analytical software, and surveillance cameras to track those involved.
Within 12 hours, security teams successfully arrested four of the suspects and seized the precious oud in their possession inside an apartment before they could dispose of it. Dubai Police identified the remaining four suspects, including the woman who impersonated the princess, and issued Red Notices for them after tracking that they had left the country immediately after committing the crime.