Court dismisses airline ticket fraud case

DUBAI: A court has dismissed an airline ticket fraud case against a Palestinian driver and an Emirati broadcaster because the plaintiff was the airline company’s security officer and not the officials directly concerned with the case.

“The case was filed by someone who has no direct concern,” Judge Mohamed Jamaal Kamaal explained to a Dubai Criminal Court hearing on Sunday.

The driver, MR, 22 was being accused of committing electronic forgery on 20 tickets belonging to a national airlines company besides presenting them to the company’s employee.

He also faced charges of snatching credit card information of several people through fraudulent online means. He reportedly used the stolen data to purchase 6 more tickets worth Dhs77,100 after logging onto the airline company’s website.

His accomplice, the broadcaster MA, 25, faced criminal complicity in the above counts.

According to court proceedings, both defendants have been defending themselves against the accusations since the previous year.

The plaintiff, a 43-year-old Indian security officer HK had testified that while on duty at the airline company, he received a letter from a Dubai-based Australian bank notifying him that payments for several tickets had been cancelled.

The bank had reportedly discovered the theft of credit card data belonging to its customers. HK added that upon discerning the bookings at the company, it was discovered that six tickets were booked using data from the credit cards. He added that data from stolen cards was used in America to purchase tickets under different names.

They all turned out to be names of MA’s relatives.

On HK’s testimony prosecutors added that upon arrest, MR admitted he committed the tickets fraud with the help of a male accomplice residing in Egypt.

MR had earned some Dhs10,500 from customers and MA received Dhs300 from each ticket that he booked. They also told the court that MA had acknowledged criminal complicity. 

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