Dubai Police break up gang in Dh12m oud theft linked to fake princess ruse

Dubai Police said an eight-member gang stole a luxury oud worth Dh12 million from a merchant through impersonation and a staged luxury setting. Police said four suspects were arrested in less than 12 hours and the stolen oud was recovered before it could be disposed of. Police said four other suspects left the country after the crime and were placed on an Interpol Red Notice, including a woman accused of posing as a princess.

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Dubai Police dismantle gang

Dubai Police said they broke up an eight-member gang in less than 12 hours after a merchant was tricked into surrendering a luxury oud valued at Dh12 million.

According to police, the theft relied on impersonation, a carefully staged high-end setting, and a bait-and-switch plan built around a supposed royal buyer.

Police said four suspects were arrested and the stolen oud was recovered before it could be disposed of.

The other four suspects left the country after the crime, and police said an Interpol Red Notice was issued for them.

Among those still being sought is a woman accused of pretending to be a princess as part of the scheme.

How the merchant was approached

According to Dubai Police, the case started when two members of the group contacted a luxury oud trader at a local market.

They told him that a high-profile princess was visiting Dubai and wanted to buy an exceptionally valuable oud.

The merchant accepted the story, arranged a large selection of premium oud pieces, and agreed to meet the supposed buyer.

Police said the gang then expanded the deception by preparing a villa to resemble the setting for a royal transaction.

The location was set up with private security, formal reception arrangements, and a lavish dinner scene.

Police said those details were designed to convince the merchant that the deal was genuine and that he was dealing with people connected to a princess.

A woman later arrived and met the merchant as the claimed buyer.

Police said she posed as the princess during the meeting.

The switch during the meeting

Police said the merchant presented the luxury oud at the villa, where the suspects asked for the items to be moved into different bags.

They told him those bags were more suitable for the princess's status.

The merchant complied and placed the oud into bags provided by the gang.

After the woman left, the suspects told him to wait while the items were supposedly being put back into his original bags, saying the sale would be completed the following day.

Police said the gang used that short period to swap out the genuine luxury oud and replace it with ordinary wood.

The bags were then returned to the merchant.

When he tried to reach the suspects the next day, all phone lines were switched off.

After opening the bags, he discovered that the valuable oud had been replaced with wooden pieces.

Investigation and arrests

Police said the merchant immediately reported the case to the Command and Control Centre.

Dubai Police then formed a specialised investigation team, which tracked the suspects through surveillance systems, analytical tools, and camera networks.

Within hours, officers arrested four members of the gang.

Police said the stolen oud was recovered from an apartment where it had been moved in an attempt to conceal it before disposal.

Investigators also found that the remaining four suspects had left the country soon after the theft.

Dubai Police said an Interpol Red Notice was issued for those fugitives as efforts continue to apprehend them.

Police credited the rapid progress in the case to swift coordination and advanced investigative methods, which they said helped recover the stolen property and quickly dismantle the gang.