Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

A phone shop worker has stolen over 3 million GBP from damaged top-up cards which he used to buy Bentleys and Range Rovers, a court has heard.

The defendant, who has not been named but is 41 years old and an Omani national, worked at an unnamed phone shop in the Deira area of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

One of his roles in the shop was to take in damaged top-up cards and provide a replacement. He was then supposed to put the damaged cards’ numbers into the company’s system and cancel the credit on them before destroying them.

However, his company claim he was actually taking the credit from the cards for himself, saying they noticed he was ordering a “huge amount” of replacement cards compared to other branches.

It is unclear how he managed to withdraw the credit from the cards for himself.

The company allege he obtained 14.7 million (3.09 million GBP) from the cards between 2015 and 2018.

They say he could not prove the cards have been cancelled and claim he “was driving [a] Range Rover and [a] Bentley” as well as wearing a Rolex watch.

Prosecutors said the defendant had deposited large amounts into his account at several intervals.

The defendant declined to tell prosecutors where he had received the money from after he was charged with illegally obtaining 14.7 million (3.09 million GBP).

The trial has been adjourned until 20th February 20 for the defence to prepare.

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