A policeman from Dubai police, identified as A.R.B, is being prosecuted for spying for the Iranian regime. The 43 years old police sergeant faces ten years in prison if the accusations leveled against him are proven in a court of law. The suspect allegedly provided sensitive information to Iranian agents pertaining to the names, contact numbers and license plates of Dubai police officials. He further delivered information about sectarian identity of Dubai police personnel as well as the force’s uniform.
A policeman from Dubai police, identified as A.R.B, is being prosecuted for spying for the Iranian regime. The 43 years old police sergeant faces ten years in prison if the accusations leveled against him are proven in a court of law. The suspect allegedly provided sensitive information to Iranian agents pertaining to the names, contact numbers and license plates of Dubai police officials. He further delivered information about sectarian identity of Dubai police personnel as well as the force’s uniform.
It is yet to be established how exactly did the Iranian regime plan on using the information that it was receiving from the defendant. Whether A.R.B is the only individual spying for Iran in the UAE has not been ascertained till now.
Arguing the case before Judge Falah Al Hajeri of the State Security Court at the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi, the prosecutor said: “The defendant has communicated with high-ranking officials in the Iranian consulate to provide them with sensitive information. Then, he asked the Vice-Consul for a health card that enables him to benefit from discounts when receiving medical treatment at the Iranian Hospital in Dubai.
“After that and starting from 2010, he started to head to the Consulate to finish paperwork for his friend’s wife who is also of Iranian origin. That is when the defendant began to provide intelligence officials at the consulate with information pertaining to the police, government officials and others working in security positions at the Dubai Police.”
Although the three witnesses who were supposed to testify at the hearing for the defence team failed to appear before the court, the hearing was allowed to commence nonetheless. The judge finally adjourned the hearing until February 9.
That the defendant was asked to find out and communicate the sectarian identity may seem peculiar, but makes perfect sense considering the Iranian regime’s track record. There are several cases, which highlight how the regime makes Shia Muslims act for its interests, often to the detriment of the communities they belong to.
Currently, the regime is backing groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere. Now, a case highlighting Iran’s intelligence activities in UAE has come to the fore, which will serve to raise tensions between the two countries. The region is faced with serious troubles, as insurgencies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen continue to threaten the peace of Middle East and the wider world. The Iranian regime’s role in said countries is highly controversial, and is viewed critically by the Arab states including the UAE.
Meanwhile in the US, Iranian-American engineer, Mozaffar Khazaee, has been charged with attempting to ship stolen documents from defence contractor companies related to F-35 Joint Strike Fighter plane. Whether these cases will have any major impact on the relationship between Iran and other countries remains to be seen.
