Dubai Bitcoin Scammer Sahni Gets Jail Sentence After Losing Appeal
UAE’s Highest Court Upholds Jail Term for Crypto Fraud Mastermind in Major International Laundering Scheme.
- Publish date: since 17 hour Reading time: two min read
A high-profile legal battle concluded on January 1, 2026, as Balvinder Singh Sahni — the Dubai-based businessman convicted over a massive Dh150 million ($40.8 million) Bitcoin money-laundering scheme saw his final appeal rejected by the Court of Cassation, the UAE’s highest court.
Sahni, also known as Abu Sabah, must now serve a five-year prison sentence and will be deported after completing his term, after years of court challenges failed to overturn his conviction for financial crimes tied to cryptocurrency-facilitated money laundering.
Originally sentenced in May 2025 by a Dubai court for orchestrating an elaborate international criminal plot, Sahni’s conviction included charges related to laundering funds through Bitcoin and transferring illicit proceeds into cash via a network of digital wallets and associates.
The emirate’s appeal court earlier ordered Sahni and his co-defendants to repay the Dh150 million prosecutors say was laundered, and the Court of Cassation’s refusal to disturb the ruling marked the end of his legal options.
Investigators found that Sahni’s network handled approximately Dh180 million tied to organised crime groups based in the U.K., funnelling funds through at least five digital wallets before converting them into cash at a rented luxury Dubai apartment. Sahni allegedly kept a percentage of the funds as profit before depositing the remainder into companies under his control.
The wider operation saw 30 individuals convicted, with sentences ranging from one to five years, and authorities arrested the majority of those involved, while others remain at large.
Sahni’s business interests, including real estate entities such as the Raj Sahni Group, Sabah Tower RSG, and Reeva Realty FZ-LLC, were each fined Dh5 million as part of earlier rulings.
Known in local social circles for his ostentatious lifestyle — including a high-profile purchase of a rare licence plate and frequent displays of luxury cars — Sahni’s dramatic fall from wealth underscores Dubai’s tough stance on financial crime and money laundering tied to digital assets.
The final judgment closes a significant chapter in one of the UAE’s most closely watched cryptocurrency fraud cases, reinforcing judicial resolve to pursue international illicit finance and hold influential figures accountable under local law.