Indian businessman jailed in Dubai for money laundering

DUBAI: An Indian businessman, Balwinder (Raj) Sahni, also known as Abu Sabah, has been sent to jail in Dubai for five years. He was found guilty of money laundering, which means using illegal ways to move and hide money.

Abu Sabah became famous in 2016 when he bought a special car number plate with the number “D5” for AED 33 million (PKR 2.52 billion). He often showed off his expensive cars and luxury lifestyle on social media.

The court also gave him a fine of AED500,000 (PKR 38.24 million) and took away property and money worth AED150 million (PKR11.47 billion). After he finishes his jail time, he will be sent out of the UAE.

Abu Sabah was the head of a company called Raj Sahni Group (RSG). His company owns many buildings in Dubai, like Burj Sabah in Jumeirah Village, Qasr Sabah in Sports City, and a luxury hotel being built in Sufouh Gardens.

Police started to investigate his business in late 2024. They found that he and 32 others — including his son — used fake companies and documents to move money illegally. Some people were not in the country and were tried in absentia, while others were jailed and fined.

Abu Sabah was well-known in Dubai’s rich circles. He often wore royal blue clothes and shared videos of himself shopping or playing with lions and chimpanzees. He had 3.3 million followers on Instagram.

Now, his crimes have caught up with him. After prison, he will be deported and cannot return to the UAE.