Three Indian men in the UAE have been accused of raiding a house posing as police officers and then kidnapping two persons for a ransom.
A Dubai court has heard that three Indian men, identified only by their initials FK, 23, IB, 29, and WB, 29, raided a house in Hor Al Anz on December 11 last year, claiming they were looking for a man who had swindled them in a car sale.
Prosecutors said the men presented the house's inhabitants cards identifying them as CID officers, The National reported.
"I asked to have a look at the ID card but they slapped me instead," recalled one of the victims, identified only as BM, a clerk from Pakistan.
"They asked me about a person named Ali, an Indian, and told me they gave him money for a car and that he disappeared. They claimed I knew his whereabouts and said I must go with them to Ras Al Khaimah," he said.
The bogus police officers then dragged him to their car before returning for his friend WB, 29, a salesman, also from Pakistan, the court heard.
They then drove the pair to an old town house in Ras Al Khaimah and locked them in a room, prosecutors said.
The hostages convinced the kidnappers to let them call a friend to ask for money. The clerk called his house mate BA, a painter also from Pakistan, and asked him to pay a Dirham 4,000 ransom.
However, after the painter delivered the money he received another call from the men asking for a further Dirham 24,000.
"At this point I decided to report the case to the police," said the painter.
Police told the painter to agree to meet one of the kidnappers and hand over the ransom money, which they supplied. When the kidnapper took the money police arrested him.
A few hours later the two other kidnappers handed themselves in to the police.
"They realised how serious the crime they carried out was and decided to hand themselves in," said EA, an Emirati police officer.
Other men who took part in the raid have not been apprehended.
The three men told police they kidnapped the clerk because he owed them money and they believed he was about to leave the country without repaying them.
The Criminal Court charged them with kidnapping. They were also charged with theft.
None of the men appeared in court and the case was adjourned to June 25.
