Trio sentenced for drug use

Three men have been jailed after tests revealed that they had been using heroin, with the prime suspect being slapped with an extra year for possession of the illegal opiod.

The Dubai Criminal Court on Sunday sentenced the GCC citizen to five years for drug abuse and possession of heroin while two of his friends, also GCC nationals, were each handed down a four year sentence for consuming heroin, and possessing narcotic pills.

The convicts were identified as A.H.R., 28, R.M.A., 23, both office workers, and A.A.A., 31, an engineer.

They were arrested in August last year, after the anti-narcotics division of the Dubai Police was tipped off that the three were consuming and possessing drugs.

After conducting an investigation, the police obtained the necessary permission from the Public Prosecution and raided the prime suspect’s flat. During the search, officers found a metal can on a TV stand which contained a powder. After sending the substance to the lab for testing, results revealed that it was heroin.

Two of the suspects confessed to taking the drugs and informed the police that they received the heroin from the prime suspect.

The police searched the vehicle of the suspects, and found white papers used in the consumption of the drug as well as tramadol pills.

Samples taken from all three suspects confirmed that they had consumed drugs. The trio were referred to the Public Prosecution, where the prime suspect was charged of possessing and taking drugs as well as facilitating the consumption of drugs, in relation to the second and third suspects.

The Public Prosecution charged the second suspect of taking drugs, while the third suspect was accused of consuming narcotics and possessing narcotic pills. All three were found guilty of the drug charges.

salah@khaleejtimes.com