Dubai officers unveil cross-dressing robber

Two police officers averted an armed robbery when they stopped a window shopper wearing an abaya and niqab because of their funny walk, a court heard.

It turned out to be a man wearing the garb as a disguise to carry out the crime.

The cops said they first noticed the suspect clutching a handbag outside a store at the Gold Souk in Deira, Dubai.

“We were suspicious because the defendant was walking like a man,” one of the officers told Dubai Court of Misdemeanours, where a 35-year-old French national is on trial in connection with the incident.

“The suspect entered the shop,” the officer continued.

“We followed them in and asked for ID. He tried to speak like a woman by raising the pitch of his voice.”

The officer added: “However, it was obvious he was a man.”

He continued: “We asked the suspect to take off the niqab - underneath was a man with a big beard. We arrested him and found he was carrying a plastic pistol, a knife and some tape in his handbag.”

The officer said the suspect initially told him he was Algerian and handed over a fake ID. He added that the man later admitted he had borrowed his wife’s clothes and had flown from France to carry out a diamond heist.

“I bought the plastic pistol and tape from Carrefour and used the hotel’s knife to complete my robbery,” the 35-year-old allegedly said. “I cased the shop the day before.”

Police say the suspect told them he was desperate for money as he had lost his business back in France and had debts of one million euros (Dhs4.7 million).

The defendant has been charged with cross-dressing and using fake ID.

He did not enter a plea yesterday and the case was adjourned.