‘Blackmailers yanked out diamond teeth implants’

The wealthy son of a businessman had his diamond teeth implants pulled out in a 14 hour blackmail ordeal, a court heard.

Saleh Al-Hindi was threatened with a lethal dose of heroin if his family fail to pay £50,000 demanded by Liban Ali, 24, jurors heard.

Ali, along with Adam Malik, 23, and Karen Dumble, 44, and three other men, planned to lure Mr Al-Hindi to Dumble’s flat with the promise of a late night massage.

Mr Al-Hindi was then blindfolded and had his £3,000 diamond ‘grillz’ pulled from his head while Dumble looked on laughing, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Andrew Frymann said: ‘In essence, the prosecution say, that these defendants on trial were part of a team. They shared the team’s overall intentions, which were to falsely imprison and blackmail.

‘There were two criminal agreements, what lawyers call conspiracies. A conspiracy to lure the victim, Saleh Al-Hindi, under false pretences to Karen Dumble’s flat.

‘But more importantly, to keep him there against his will, restraining him and detaining him, and then to extort ransom money from his friends and loved ones to secure his release.

‘Saleh Al-Hindi, the victim, was lured to Karen Dumble’s flat during the evening of 18 November 2018.

‘Liban Ali skilfully duped Saleh Al-Hindi, suggesting that they should go together, late at night, to a massage parlour.

‘Liban Ali knew that Saleh Al-Hindi wore expensive diamond teeth implants,’ explained Mr Frymann, adding that Ali had visited Mr Al-Hindi’s father’s business.

‘He knew that Saleh Al-Hindi was a good candidate for a hostage and a ransom. Liban Ali had been in prison with Saleh Al-Hindi in the recent past – Liban Ali was trusted by Saleh Al-Hindi.’

Mr Frymann said the pair took a taxi to Dumble’s Peabody housing association flat in the heart of Westminster on Old Pye Street.

‘They arrived a little after midnight in the early hours of the morning of the 19th of November 2018, around 0022 hours.

‘He had around £3,000 worth of diamond teeth implants, sometimes referred to as grillz. They were extracted from his teeth during the ordeal.’

The court heard how the alleged kidnappers managed to get the phone number of a friend of Mr Al-Hindi, who they called to try and secure a ransom payment.

They also pocketed £450 in cash that Al-Hindi had withdrawn to pay for his late night rub.

‘They initially demanded £50,000. Wisely [the friend] called the police as soon as he realised that his friend was in very serious trouble.

‘Police were able to meet with [the friend] and they were able to record very many of the demand or threat calls.

‘The police set about trying to locate Saleh Al-Hindi around 14 hours after he had been lured to Karen Dumble’s flat by Liban Ali.

‘Police then stormed Karen Dumble’s flat and they found Saleh Al-Hindi bound and blindfolded and the worse for wear.’

Mr Frymann told the court Dumble played a key role in what went on.

‘She provided the stronghold, the safe location – it is her flat.

‘She was part of what was going on,’ said Mr Frymann.

‘Rather than keeping herself separate in another room, she instead chose to come in and out of the room where Saleh Al-Hindi was kept to laugh at him.’

He said Dumble was heard ‘berating the enforcers for taking too long in extracting the ransom monies and apparently relishing in going off to prepare an overdose of heroin.

‘He was being threatened with being killed but with his death being made to look like an overdose.

‘Her work was apparently thirsty work,’ explained Mr Frymann.

He said Dumble popped out to the shops to buy ‘refreshments’ at around the same time her flat was stormed by armed officers.

‘The police officers attending arrested the three males present in the room with him.

‘The three men that the police found in the room with Saleh Al-Hindi were Marin Majid, Drilon Hykaj and Agon Salihi and all three pleaded guilty to conspiracy to falsely imprison and conspiracy to blackmail.’

Mr Frymann said two other individuals were found at Dumble’s home, which was being used as a crack den.

They were released after police confirmed the pair were merely drug addicts and not part of the conspiracies.

Ali, of Haezelwood Crescent, north Kensington, Malik, of Third Avenue, Queen’s Park, and Dumble, of Old Pye Street, Westminster, each deny conspiracy to falsely imprison and conspiracy to blackmail.

Dumble and Malik deny a further charge of threatening to kill.

Majid, of Saville Road, north Woolwich, east London, Salihi, of Regency Street, Westminster, and Hykaj of Northwick Road, Wembley, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to falsely imprison and conspiracy to blackmail.

The trial continues.
ends