French police have arrested two thieves who posed as wealthy Gulf Arab tourists and robbed a number of hotel rooms, officials said.
The thieves, who would find out room number of wealthy Arab tourists, reportedly gained access to the hotel rooms by pretending to the staff that they lost their keys in order to get new key cards.
They then used a stethoscope to ensure the rooms were empty before entering them and used a hammer and chisel to remove the safes. They would then put the safes in their suitcases and leave the hotel.
The thefts happened in a number of high-end hotels in Paris and on the Riviera before the twosome were apprehended at a hotel in central France last week. They were arrested after being identified through surveillance videos.
According to a report by France’s RTL radio, police recovered jewellery, luxury clothing and varied Arab currency worth Dhs 328, 534 amongst the suspects’ possessions. The thieves also had about 20 hotel key cards, the report added.
Europe is a popular destination among Gulf Arab tourists during summer months. Arab visitors also account for a sizeable chunk of spending within these countries.
However their flashy behaviour has often attracted criticism from local residents and at times even prompted robberies.
Recently the UAE issued a warning to all its citizens travelling abroad to avoid flaunting expensive clothing or accessories to ensure their safety in a foreign country. The ministry urged citizens to follow travel guidelines and procedures of the countries that they visit.
The warning follows an incident in the UK last year where three Emirati sisters were attacked and robbed in a luxury London hotel. The attacker bludgeoned the sisters with a hammer, leaving them seriously injured, and fled with a suitcase filled with iPads, gold jewellery and mobile phones.
