Two Asians on trial for stealing medicines in UAE

The Ras Al Khaimah - The case unfolded early this year when the hospital alerted the RAK police

The Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court has started hearing a case in which two Asian residents are accused of stealing narcotic tramadol pills for illegal consumption.

As per court record, the case unfolded early this year when the hospital alerted the RAK police about the two suspects who used to work with a local private hospital here.

Police investigations show that the first suspect, who was working as an office boy with the hospital, proved to have stolen a strip of five tablets of the narcotic drug from the pharmacy of the hospital where he worked.

The suspect admitted to his crime, saying that he stole the prescription-only medicine for consumption.

He further told the law enforcement bodies here that he could not get the tramadol strip out of the hospital first. Therefore, he handed it over to his fellow-mate, the second suspect.

The other accused told the RAK police that he did cooperate with the first suspect, and agreed to hide the drugs in his pocket to get out of the hospital for consumption later.

The hospital management alerted of the theft, informed the police, who immediately appeared at the scene, seized the drugs, and arrested the duo.

The suspects admitted to their crime and were referred to the RAK public prosecution which charged them with stealing narcotics with the intention of illegal consumption.
Large tramadol shipment seized in Ajman

The case was moved to the RAK criminal court presided over by Chief Judge Sameh Shaker who started hearing the case.

The same court had earlier sentenced an Arab woman to seven years in jail, and deportation thereafter for being found guilty of for peddling 15,000 tramadol tablets.

The RAK public prosecution told the court that the drug dealers, mainly those peddling narcotic tramadol tablets, are targeting young people disregard their catastrophic impact on their health, family, and life as a whole.

Tramadol is highly restricted as per the Ministerial Decree No15/2011 concerning the tables attached to the Federal Law No (14) 1995 (Second Article) regarding the Counter Measures against Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, they added.

"This is also a crime of smuggling prohibited goods pursuant to the provisions of Article 5/145 of the Common Customs Law for the GCC States," they said, noting that Tramadol, as per medical reports can cause shortness of breath, skeletal muscles relaxation, coma, convulsions, bradycardia, low blood pressure, heart failure, and death.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Ras Al Khaimah