Woman to be deported from Dubai for carrying drugs

Dubai - She was caught trying to bring them in through the airport; claims she took them for depression

A Lebanese woman has been fined and ordered to be deported for carrying nearly 2,750 medically-controlled pills at Dubai airport by the Court of First Instance.
The 23-year-old woman earlier denied the charge of importing psychotropic tablets through Dubai International Airport. She told judges that she was unaware that use of such medicines was regulated under UAE law, stating that it was for personal use only.
"I had been on the medicine to get over some post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) I suffered since my brother's death in a traffic accident," she argued in court.
However, she failed to present in court any medical prescription - duly attested by concerned authorities here - to support her claim that she under treatment for depression. The presiding judge subsequently fined her Dh2,000 and ordered that she be deported.
 
Public prosecution records showed that customs at the airport seized 2,750 pills the accused was carrying in her baggage, referring her to the anti-narcotics police at the airport on July 2. Since she had no formal documents justifying the reason she was carrying the large quantity of tablets, she had been placed in detention for some time before she was granted bail during her trial.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai