UAE orders trial of dozens of alleged gang members

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has ordered more than 100 alleged members of a criminal gang to stand trial, state media said on Friday, following an increase in mass convictions in the Gulf state.

The suspects are accused of “forming, managing, and joining a criminal organisation known as the ´Bahloul´ gang,” the official WAM news agency reported.

The group is accused of illegal activities including money laundering and extortion, it said.

The defendants will be tried for “threatening the state´s security, public order, and societal peace,” WAM added.

The report did not specify their nationalities or provide details on the gang´s activities.

There has been a rise in mass convictions in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms that touts itself as one of the world´s safest countries.

Last month, an Abu Dhabi court sentenced three Bangladeshis to life imprisonment and 54 others to jail terms of 10 to 11 years for taking part in protests against their government on UAE soil where demonstrations are banned.