Man caught with 1kg heroin capsules at Dubai airport gets 10 years in jail

A 25-year-old man, who was caught at the Dubai International Airport trying to smuggle over 1kg of heroin in his stomach, was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a court on Thursday.

According to public prosecution records, the Afghan man arrived at Dubai airport on October 14 on a visit visa.

He looked suspicious to the Dubai Customs inspectors, who then referred him to body scanning.

A lieutenant of the Dubai Police anti-narcotics general directorate told the prosecution investigator that the x-ray test detected strange objects in the defendant's body on the day of his arrival to Dubai. "The objects were suspected to be drug capsules. He was then referred to the narcotics directorate and later to a hospital."

The lieutenant added that policemen were assigned with guarding the defendant at the hospital until the capsules came out naturally from his digestive system.

"He stayed at the hospital for few days until he dropped all the capsules which contained heroin. He was later referred back to our directorate where he was interrogated.

"The accused admitted he was aware the capsules contained drugs and that he took the quantity from a man in Afghanistan and was to deliver it to someone here. He was to be paid for the job," the officer said during investigation.

According to Dubai Police crime lab, the quantity seized from the traveler was 99 capsules of heroin weighing over 1kg.

The Court of First Instance convicted him of drug smuggling charge and ordered his deportation after serving his jail time and paying a Dh50,000 fine.

The court ordered the confiscation of the drugs.

The accused, who is in detention, has the right to appeal the conviction ruling within 15 days.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

Marie Nammour

Originally from Lebanon, Marie has been covering the Dubai Courts and the Public Prosecution, immigration and labour issues often, Lebanese community-related affairs and the Dubai International Film Festival. A graduate from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, a city to the north of Beirut, Marie worked as an in-house reporter, covering international affairs for the LBCI and the LBC Sat (Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International), a leading TV station back home and a legal translator for Sagesse, a renowned law college in the heart of the Lebanese capital. Marie speaks fluently Arabic, French, English and Spanish. She is fond of travelling, psychology, learning more and of the French literature.