Israeli tourists apparently stole duty-free products at a Dubai airport, Mako reported last Monday.
Three tourists from Israel were detained, while another one was arrested and questioned on suspicion of involvement in a separate drug and theft-related crime.
The items that were stolen included bottles of alcohol, chocolate and even a gold-plated iPhone.
The three suspects were required to provide explanations regarding the thefts and then pay a fine of several thousand UAE dirhams (100 Dhs = $27), and only after that were they allowed to board a return flight to Israel.
Israeli tourists are considered the leading customers at duty-free shops in Dubai airport. They mostly buy expensive alcohol, especially whiskey, as well as luxury chocolate packaging, souvenirs, branded clothes and jewelry.
One of the men who were arrested was taken into police custody nearly two weeks ago when he arrived in Dubai. A 29-year-old Sakhnin resident, he was a suspect in a separate police investigation, according to Mako. The details of the investigation are still unclear, but the possibility of his involvement in a drug or theft case is currently being assessed. The Israeli embassy in Dubai is in contact with the detainee’s family and law enforcement agencies in the UAE.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed his arrest but refused to provide further details on the grounds of individual privacy.
Another incident in Belarus involved an Israeli woman who had a substance that was banned in the country and was detained there for several weeks as a result. It was not until Thursday that she was allowed to return to Israel.
