Bahrain Mirror: The First Bahraini High Criminal Court Sentenced a 24-year-old Serb and a 30-year-old Bosnian national to five years in prison for robbing a currency exchange office in the Umm Al-Hassam area by threatening employees with an electric taser.

The Public Prosecutor's Office charged the defendants with stealing a sum of money owned by the currency exchange office under duress and under the threat of an electric taser, stealing car plates, using legitimate vehicle plates that they are not allowed use, and having possession of cannabis and marijuana.

The details of the incident indicate that the second defendant was working in one of the largest hotels in Bahrain for about two years and recently resigned becoming unemployed. His friend, the first defendant, proposed that they rob the currency exchange office, of which they are customers, since the shop is located in Umm Al-Hassam and is an easy target.

The accused said that he discussed it with his friend on the condition that he should not use a lethal weapon and not injure anyone. Eventually, they agreed to use an electric taser. An Arab friend of theirs provided it for a sum of money. He also revealed in his confessions that they had rented two cars from two different offices, parked them the night before the incident in the Tubli area, and then they brought clothes, masks and gloves, stole an old car plate parked in the in the Adliya area and put it on the vehicle that they would run in after the robbery. Once the exchange office opened at 8am, they headed towards it. The first defendant rushed in and jumped at the reception, threatening employees with the electric taser. He took 3,120 dinars from them, while the role of the second defendant was limited to standing at the door from the inside for lookout. Once the robbery was complete, they quickly escaped. They rode the nearest car and headed to the Juffair area to an apartment of one of their colleagues, who was traveling on leave and left the apartment for them to check on. They divided the amount in half, but the police quickly arrested the second defendant.

The second defendant, in his confessions, also said that as soon as they escaped, they changed their clothes in the car. He was supposed to throw the clothes and masks that were used immediately after the drove, but he only threw away his colleague's clothes and left his clothes in the car. Therefore, the police found him as the clothes were used as evidence against him.

The security services were able to arrest the suspects after ascertaining their involvement in the incident.

Arabic Version