Dubai court hands five-year sentence, $136,000 fine, and deportation to businessman Balvinder Singh Sahni and 29 others
A high-profile Indian-origin businessman, Balvinder Singh Sahni—popularly known as ‘Abu Sabah’—has been sentenced to five years in jail and fined $136,000 (AED 500,000) by a Dubai court for his role in a major money laundering operation. The court also ordered his deportation following the completion of his prison term, reported alarabiya.net.
Lavish lifestyle businessman found guilty in complex money laundering case.
Sahni, a Dubai-based billionaire and founder of a prominent property management company, was among 30 people convicted as part of what authorities described as an “organized criminal group.” His son also received the same sentence.
The court seized over $40 million (AED 150 million) in illicit funds along with mobile phones and other belongings tied to the scheme
The case unfolded following a complaint filed at the Bur Dubai Police Station in 2023. After thorough investigations, authorities referred the case to the Public Prosecution on December 18, 2024. The first hearing was held on January 9, 2025, during which the court uncovered a sophisticated laundering operation that involved shell companies and unauthorized financial transfers. Several defendants were tried in absentia, and assets under their control were also confiscated.
In addition to Sahni and his son, ten others received a one-year jail term, a $54,450 (AED 200,000) fine, and deportation orders. Three companies associated with the case were fined a total of $1.3 million (AED 5 million).
Known for his flamboyant lifestyle, Sahni first captured international headlines in 2016 after paying nearly $9 million (AED 33 million) for a single-digit vehicle license plate for one of his luxury cars.
Reports suggest that an appeal process may still be open to the convicted parties.