19 Nigerians arrested in UAE for robbing ATM

19 Nigerians who specialize in robbing Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in the United States Emirate, have been arrested by the police after months of painstaking monitoring of their activities.

The Sharjah Police, in a statement, said that the 19 Nigerian targeted ATM vehicles and at the time they were arrested, they had stolen Dh1.8 million, (about N 154 million).

The statement added that the suspects were arrested from several apartments occupied by 30 to 40 Nigerians.

According to Khaleej Times, the Nigerian robbers had come to the country on visit visas specifically to commit the robberies and in the process of their crime spree, they assaulted security guards accompanying the vehicles to carry out the robberies.

Addressing a press conference, the Director of Police Operations Department, Colonel Rashid bin Bayat, said the Nigerian criminals had committed four daring and violent robberies targeting money transportation vehicles that were delivering cash to ATMs.

At the conference, Col. Bayat said:
“The first robbery was committed at the ATM of the Dubai Commercial Bank on King Abdul Aziz Road, where the robbers assaulted security guards and fled with Dh340,000.

After two days, the gang struck again at an ATM near Saferr Mall in Al Nahda area, where they fled with Dh700,000.

They also attacked a cash transportation vehicle in Al Muweilah area, making off with Dh710,000. The fourth attack at an ATM on Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road was foiled by the police.”

According to the police, the suspects had transferred a part of the robbed money to Nigeria while efforts are being made to recover the rest of the loot and return them to their owners.

The suspects, the police added, were identified and arrested based on CCTV footages obtained from the banks and money exchange offices, said the police.