Emirates gang arrested on copper theft charges

United Arab Emirates – Police officers in the United Arab Emirates have arrested an organised gang which stands accused of stealing and selling copper cables worth millions of US dollars. The suspects were reportedly caught in the act of cutting cables and repackaging them for shipping.
The 14 gang members, who originate from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, are said to have used their own fleet of pick-up trucks and trailers in the operation. Allegedly, they would pick up cable reels dropped off by various companies’ drivers in abandoned areas of Jebel Ali and Al Aweer and transport them to a warehouse at Al Qouz. There they would chop up the cables and package them for export.

The value of the copper found in the warehouse was put at around Dh 14 million (US$ 3.8 million).