Bahrain court confirms 3-year jail for woman caught for robberies, chain-snatching

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A 32-year-old woman convicted of robberies has had her appeal against a three-year prison term rejected by the Cassation Court.

Police arrested the woman, an Arab national, following an investigation into a complaint filed by an Asian national.

“Investigators later found the hand of the woman in multiple robberies recorded in Manama and Muharraq,” charge sheets say.

“She robbed several people and from several shops in the two governorates,” said police.

Incidents leading to the arrest started with police investigating the gold chain snatching case filed on the 15th of October 2021 by the victim.

The complaint said a woman approached the victim under the pretext of seeking help but attacked and strangled him before fleeing with the chain he was wearing.

Muharraq Police said they opened an investigation soon after registering the complaint.

As per the report, the incident occurred at a mobile shop in Busaiteen.

Cops said they tracked down the suspect using security camera footage and other evidence collected.

Investigators told the court the woman was a habitual offender, with her also involved in similar crimes in Muharraq and Capital governorates.

“We also caught the suspect red-handed while attempting to commit a similar crime in the Isa Town area,” police told the court. The woman, however, denied all charges pressed against her during interrogation.

She claimed that she was abroad at the time of the crimes.

The victim had told investigators that the woman came directly to him while he was inside the shop that day.

“The woman gave me a phone and asked me to talk to her neighbour.

“She claimed she could not understand the language of the person at the other end.

However, whenI refused, she rushed towards me and grabbed me forcefully so I could hardly move or resist her “She then snatched the gold chain I was wearing and ran away in a jiffy.”

Investigators said the suspect had also committed similar robberies by stopping cars and asking for lifts.

She acted like a poor woman struggling to meet ends while asking drivers for money.

“Unsuspecting travellers, who stopped were attacked and robbed,” cops said.

The court also ordered the deportation of the woman from the Kingdom after completing her jail terms.