Two men arrested in connection with a luxury watch heist at a popular shopping mall appeared in court for the first time yesterday (February 17).

During the hearing it emerged that those behind the Rolex robbery might have planted fake bombs to aid their escape, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The two suspects who appeared in court yesterday allegedly helped a six-member gang who, disguised as women wearing abayas and hijabs, broke into the Rolex shop at Bahrain City Centre last September.

They made off with approximately 80 watches, attacking a Pakistani security guard in the process.

The six suspects are said to have approached a Turkish political analyst and an American, who both live in Bahrain, to conceal and transport the stolen goods out of the country.

Plea

Both men pleaded not guilty as they appeared at the High Criminal Court yesterday.

"Did you rob the City Centre mall along with other suspects, assault a security guard and place fake bombs in the area of the mall?" asked the judge before the men pleaded their innocence.

The six men - two Albanians, two Kosovans, a Serbian and a Macedonian - fled the country just two hours after the heist.

Bahraini police arrested the American and Turkish men on October 1 following a raid on their Manama apartment, where officers allegedly confiscated some of the watches.

At least four suspects have also been arrested overseas with help from Interpol. The trial was adjourned yesterday until March 18 for review. - TradeArabia News Service