DUBAI— Dubai Police said Saturday they had dismantled a gang that stole luxury oud worth 12 million dirhams ($3.27 million) from a trader using an elaborate scheme involving a woman posing as a princess.
Police said four members of the eight-person gang were arrested and the stolen goods recovered within 12 hours of the crime being reported. The remaining four suspects, including the woman who impersonated the princess, fled the country and are now the subject of international Red Notices.
According to investigators, the operation began when two gang members visited a luxury oud boutique and convinced the trader that a prominent princess was planning a visit to Dubai and wished to purchase a large quantity of premium oud.
Believing the offer to be genuine, the trader assembled some of his most valuable stock and agreed to meet the purported royal buyer.
The gang then rented and furnished a modern villa, hired security personnel and organised what police described as a high-end reception and dinner to create the appearance of an official royal meeting.
During the gathering, the trader displayed the luxury oud he had brought in his own bags. Gang members allegedly persuaded him to transfer the products into alternative bags more suitable for presentation to a princess.
A woman posing as the princess later arrived and discussed finalising the purchase. After she left, the trader was asked to wait while the oud was supposedly being transferred back into his bags pending completion of the transaction.
Police said the suspects used the opportunity to replace the valuable oud with ordinary wood before returning the bags to the trader.
The following day, the trader was unable to contact the group and discovered the alleged theft after opening the bags.
After receiving a report through its Command and Control Centre, Dubai Police launched an investigation using surveillance footage and analytical technologies to identify the suspects and trace their movements.
Within 12 hours, officers arrested four suspects at an apartment and recovered the stolen oud before it could be sold or disposed of, police said.- WAM
