An unemployed Asian man is currently facing three counts of arson at the Court of First Instance in Dubai and has been specifically charged with setting nine cars on fire on two separate occasions, Khaleej Times reports. Initially, the prosecution accused the 23-year-old of pouring gasoline on a single car and burning it with a cigarette lighter, which resulted in a fire on July 26 that spread to five more vehicles. However, upon investigation of the incident, police uncovered further complexities behind the events of the crime. For one, the suspect was not alone in the act. The man confessed to pouring the gasoline, together with runaway fugitives and even admitted that he only started the fire after an Indian man offered him 600 AED for the dirty deed. With further intimidation from the police, the defendant even willingly led law enforcement agents to the hidden location where the gutted cars were parked. The ruling on the case will be handed down on Dec. 17.

On Nov. 29, the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance found a worker guilty of premeditated murder and theft and sentenced him to death by execution.

The victim’s body, the employee’s boss, was discovered in a parked car on the roadside by municipal workers, who quickly reported the incident to the police. Shortly after, the worker was accused of killing his boss for refusing to increase his salary. However, official court documents later revealed a crime story and motivation that were much more complex.

According to the official papers, on the day of the incident, the employee and his boss rode together to their workshop in the Musaffah area where the victim had promised to pay the worker his monthly salary of 1500 AED upon arrival. When they reached the workshop the victim reneged on his promise and handed over 1000 AED, despite continually informing the defendant that his salary had been increased from 1000 AED to 1500 AED. Without the additional 500 AED, the employee began to construct a plan to get revenge on the boss.

Armed with a meat cleaver that he had purchased at a local store, the employee scheduled a meeting with the boss and asked if he could drive him to the outskirts of town to pick up some items for a friend; he agreed. The boss picked the defendant up, and when they had driven into a quiet area, the employee pulled out a meat cleaver and stabbed him in the head and neck. Following the murder, the employee stole his boss’ two phones and laptop, all in an effort to cover his tracks.

The complete details of the crime are still under speculation, but the defendant has denied planning to kill his boss and has even claimed that his crime was an act of self-defence; the result of his boss’ demand to have sex with him by force.

On Nov. 28, police arrested a gang of four robbers in Ajman after their attempt to steal tens of thousands of dirhams from a parked car proved futile. Based on statements from the police, the criminals were under the impression that the driver had left over 35,000 AED in his parked car after withdrawing money from a nearby ATM. Acting on this assumption, the gang broke into the vehicle only to reveal an empty interior with no cash. Administrators within the Ajman Police Department have claimed that this was not an isolated incident and have gone on to suspect the gang of regularly targeting individuals who have recently withdrawn money from the ATM.

A police investigation commenced as soon as the car owner filed a complaint that his car had been broken into and its contents had been robbed. The investigation later revealed that the victim had withdrawn 35,000 AED from a bank in Ajman during the day of the incident. However, he went home to carefully secure the money before heading to the Ajman Ministry of Health, the scene of the crime. All of the suspects were residents of Abu Dhabi and were apprehended by the Abu Dhabi Police.