Dubai Police pursue four fugitives after Dh12m oud bait-and-switch case
Dubai Police said an eight-member gang stole luxury oud worth Dh12 million from a merchant through impersonation, a staged villa meeting, and a bag swap. Police said four suspects were arrested in less than 12 hours and the stolen oud was recovered before it could be sold or discarded. Four other suspects fled the country, and police issued an Interpol Red Notice, including for a woman accused of posing as a princess.
Case Overview
Dubai Police said an eight-member gang, including a woman, carried out a Dh12 million luxury oud theft using impersonation, a carefully staged setting, and a bait-and-switch during a private deal with a merchant.
Police said the case was unraveled in less than 12 hours.
Four suspects were arrested and the stolen oud was recovered before it could be disposed of.
The other four suspects had already fled the country after the crime, and their details were circulated internationally through an Interpol Red Notice.
Among those still being sought is a woman accused of pretending to be a princess.
The case involved a highly organized deception designed to convince the merchant that he was taking part in a high-value sale to a royal buyer.
How the Merchant Was Drawn In
According to Dubai Police, the incident began when two gang members approached a luxury oud trader at a local market.
They told him that a high-profile princess was visiting Dubai and wanted to buy exceptionally valuable oud.
Believing the claim, the merchant assembled a large selection of premium oud pieces and agreed to meet the supposed buyer.
Police said the gang then built up the false impression by arranging a villa for the meeting.
Investigators said the property was prepared to support the story.
It included private security, formal reception arrangements, and an elaborate dinner setting intended to make the merchant believe the transaction was genuine.
The Exchange at the Villa
Police said the merchant brought the luxury oud to the villa and presented it there.
During the meeting, the suspects asked that the oud be placed into other bags, saying those were more appropriate for the princess's status.
The merchant complied and used bags supplied by the group.
A woman later arrived and allegedly acted as the princess during the meeting with the merchant.
After she left, the suspects told the merchant to wait while the oud was supposedly being moved back into his original bags.
They said the transaction would be completed the next day.
Police said the gang used that brief interval to secretly substitute the luxury oud with ordinary wood before handing the bags back.
When the merchant tried to contact the group the following day, all phone lines were switched off.
After opening the bags, he discovered that the valuable oud had been fully replaced with wooden pieces.
Police Response and Arrests
The merchant reported the incident to the Command and Control Centre, after which Dubai Police formed a specialized investigation team.
Police said investigators tracked the suspects by relying on surveillance, data analysis, and camera footage.
Within hours, officers arrested four gang members and recovered the stolen oud from an apartment where it had been moved in an effort to hide it before disposal.
Investigations later confirmed that the remaining four suspects had already left the country.
Police said one of them was the woman accused of posing as the princess during the deception.
Their details were distributed internationally through an Interpol Red Notice as efforts continue to locate and apprehend them.
Dubai Police said the rapid recovery of the stolen property and the swift arrests were the result of coordinated investigative work following the merchant's report.
