· The Force arrested four gang members and issued an Interpol red notice for four others

· The gang deceived a merchant by claiming a princess wanted to buy a luxury oud

· They swapped the luxury oud with ordinary wood

Dubai: Within 12 hours of the crime, Dubai Police identified and dismantled an eight-member gang, including a woman, that stole a luxury oud worth AED 12 million from a merchant. Officers arrested four suspects and seized the stolen oud in their possession, while issuing an Interpol Red Notice for the remaining four fugitives, including the woman who had impersonated a princess during the theft.

Dubai Police stated that the crime began when two gang members visited a luxury oud shop in a local market. They deceived the merchant by claiming that a prominent princess was coming to Dubai and wished to purchase an extremely valuable oud.

"Believing their story, the merchant procured a large quantity of the finest oud and arranged to meet the alleged princess. The gang prepared a modern villa, complete with personal guards, a sophisticated reception, and a lavish dinner, to make the deception convincing," the Force added.

The Bag Swap

Dubai Police stated: “While the merchant was in the villa, he presented the luxury oud to the gang members. They asked him to transfer the oud into different bags more befitting the princess's status. The merchant agreed, moving the oud into the bags they provided.”

“The alleged princess then arrived, met the merchant, and asked to finalise the purchase. After she left, the gang members asked the merchant to wait while the oud was transferred back to his personal bags, saying they would contact him the next day to finalize the purch,” the Force added

Switching the Oud with Wood

The Force explained that the gang members took this opportunity to place ordinary wood into the merchant's bags instead of returning the luxury oud, then handed them back to him. “The next day, the merchant tried to call them, but their phones were switched off. When he opened the bags, he was shocked to discover he had been robbed – the oud had been replaced with wood,” they added.

Report & Arrest

Dubai Police confirmed the merchant filed a report with the Command and Control Centre. The General Department of Criminal Investigation immediately formed a specialised team that went to the villa and launched an investigation using the latest technologies, analytical programmes, and cameras to track the suspects. Within 12 hours, they arrested four of the suspects and seized the precious oud, which they had moved to an apartment, before they could dispose of it.

As for the remaining four suspects, including the woman who had impersonated the princess, Dubai Police identified them and issued an Interpol red notice after determining that they had left the country immediately after committing the crime.