Dubai: The Dubai Court of Appeal has upheld the two-year jail sentence for nine members of a Nigerian gang men accused of robbing a vehicle of a cash transport company.

The gang used meat cleavers, knives and axe to rob a bag containing Dh265,748 belonging to a money exchange house in Al Muhaisnah 2 area in Dubai.

A 36-year-old Indian manager testified that in July 2018, the money transport van arrived at the exchange office.

Two security guards put the money inside a big, red bag but they were attacked by the gang before reaching the vehicle. “I saw three African men attacking the security guards with knives. They snatched the money bag, and the two guards sustained injuries. I alerted Dubai police through the alarm system but the attackers escaped in a white car,” the manager said in official records.

The two guards were seriously injured during the attack and one of the defendants damaged the van’s tyre before fleeing the scene.

However, Dubai Police found the money bag empty, 500 meters away from the crime scene.

“Surveillance cameras identified the defendants. They were staying in Ajman. We arrested them despite strong resistance,” a 26-year-old Emirati police officer said.

The gang confessed that the mastermind behind the operation, who is still at large, used to work as a security guard in the area and had information about the money transport van and timing.

“They used a stolen number plate for their car during the robbery. They split the money between them when they arrived at Ajman. We found one axe and four meat cleavers in their place.”

They denied a charge of armed robbery but were convicted by First Instance Court and sentenced to two years in prison each to be followed by deportation.