Dubai Police arrest suspect in tax fraud, money laundering cases

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The Dubai Police have arrested a suspect in a $1.7 billion (Dh6.24 billion) dividend-tax fraud case in Denmark, with the aim of subsequent extradition for prosecution in Denmark.

The arrest was made possible due to a bilateral extradition treaty between Denmark and UAE that was signed in March 2022, which allows for the extradition of individuals suspected of committing crimes on Danish soil to Denmark for prosecution.

Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, praised the efforts of the team from the General Department of Criminal Investigations, who located, tracked, and arrested the suspect in coordination with the Dubai Public Prosecution.

Major General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, explained that through the exchange of information with the Danish authorities about S.S., a 52-year old British national, a task force of elite officers and members from the Wanted Persons Department and the Anti-Money Laundering Department investigated, gathered evidence, and tracked the suspect's movements and whereabouts.

Brigadier Jamal Al Jallaf, director of the General Department of Criminal Investigations, said they had received an international arrest warrant from the Danish authorities via the Ministry of Justice represented by the Department of International Cooperation and the Public Prosecution in Dubai, to arrest the suspect.

Brig. Al Jallaf explained that S.S. was wanted by Danish authorities for being involved in a scheme in which foreign businesses pretended to own shares in Danish companies and claim tax refunds for which they were not eligible.

“The fraud scheme, known as 'cum-ex' trading, involved submitting more thousands of applications to the Danish Treasury on behalf of investors and companies from several countries around the world in order to receive dividend tax refunds,” said Al Jallaf.

He pointed out that S.S., along with others, is facing charges of dividend-tax fraud and money laundering.

According to him, S.S. will be handed over to the Danish authorities after presenting him before the Public Prosecution in Dubai and taking legal actions to obtain his extradition warrant per the international laws in this regard.