DUBAI, Oct 20: In a gripping revelation that has shocked the nation, the UAE Federal Public Prosecution has referred nine Arab nationals to court after uncovering their role in an organised criminal gang accused of committing heinous crimes that jeopardised state security, public order, and social peace.

The case emerged after a disturbing report was filed through the Public Prosecution’s digital platform “My Safe Society”, where a victim detailed a horrifying ordeal — he was kidnapped, indecently assaulted, and filmed while bound.

Acting under the directives of the Attorney-General, the Public Prosecution launched an extensive investigation, swiftly gathering evidence and tasking the Federal Judicial Enforcement Office to identify, track, and apprehend the perpetrators. The team also moved decisively to seize all tools and equipment used in the crime.

Investigations revealed a chilling plot: the gang had lured the victim to one of their residences under the guise of resolving a financial dispute. Once inside, the man was brutally attacked, restrained, and held captive for an entire week. During his confinement, the assailants forced him to sign forged debt documents, filmed him naked, and later circulated the footage across social media to extort money from his family through blackmail.

Authorities later confiscated the vehicle and mobile phones used in the crime — containing incriminating videos and evidence that exposed the gang’s highly coordinated and malicious operations.

According to prosecutors, the gravity of the charges — including kidnapping, assault, and blackmail within an organised criminal framework — places the defendants under provisions punishable by death or life imprisonment.

The Public Prosecution reaffirmed that the UAE remains resolute in protecting its citizens and residents from any threats to its security, stability, and social integrity, vowing to pursue such criminals with the full force of the law.