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Dubai: Six Arab conmen were jailed on Tuesday after convincing various banks to issue them with credit cards, which they then used to steal at least Dh250,000.
The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced five of the gang members, three Tunisians, F.Y., 24, M.B., 26, and T.T., 28, 26-year-old Syrian, M.D., and 35-year-old Egyptian, M.M., to three years in jail each.
Presiding Judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm, who pronounced the ruling, also sentenced Syrian public relations officer, W.R., 41, to six months in jail.
The Public Prosecution charged the accused with forging 10 stamps and documents which they used to swindle five banks, who issued the defendants with 73 credit cards.
The gang members were also charged with pocketing more than Dh250,000, which they collected in cash and purchased items, from the credit cards.
The defendants earlier pleaded not guilty.
The judge presented more than ten stamps, which the public prosecution confiscated, and the credit cards before defence lawyers in a previous hearing.
W.R. told the judge most of the stamps were authentic and maintained his and his associates' innocence.
A major in Dubai police testified one of the banks complained after F.Y. had submitted fake documents to obtain a credit card.
"Primary investigations revealed the suspects used desktop computers, laptops and false stamps to forge documents such as bank statements, residence permits, trade licences, labour permits and passport copies, as well as false ID's of people residing outside the country," added the major.
One of the suspects confessed that he used the credit cards to withdraw more than Dh31,000. Another suspect admitted that he withdrew more than Dh280,000 using a number of credit cards.
When police arrested the accused they found in their possession most of the fake documents and cheques worth more than $1 million and Dh15 million.
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