Dubai: Man jailed, fined Dh100,000 for using bank account for drug trafficking

A Dubai court has sentenced an Asian man to three years in prison, fined him Dh100,000, and ordered his deportation after finding him guilty of allowing his bank account to be used to receive money linked to drug trafficking. 

The court also confiscated the full balance of his account and imposed a two-year ban on transferring or depositing money for others, directly or through intermediaries, without prior approval from the UAE Central Bank in coordination with the Ministry of Interior.

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Case documents revealed that Dubai’s General Department of Anti-Narcotics received reliable intelligence that four Asian men were using drugs and storing them at a residence in Bur Dubai. Acting on a prosecution warrant, police conducted a raid and discovered a packet of heroin, a precision scale, and tools commonly used in narcotics distribution. Additional quantities of drugs were found inside one of the suspect’s vehicles.

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During interrogation, one suspect admitted sourcing the drugs from an Asian supplier, while another confessed that proceeds from their sale had been deposited into a UAE-based bank account. He also admitted to using drugs. Authorities traced the account to the defendant, who insisted he had no involvement in drug trading and claimed he had only lent his bank card to someone “to help them”, denying knowledge that it was being used to handle drug money.

The court dismissed his defence, ruling that he was responsible for the illicit funds and for allowing his account to be misused. Convicting him of possession and benefit from drug-related proceeds, the court’s ruling underscores the UAE’s growing crackdown on financial channels linked to narcotics trafficking.

The verdict sends a clear message: anyone who facilitates illegal activity, even indirectly, will face strict consequences under the law, highlighting the authorities’ intensified efforts to cut off both the supply and the financial networks behind drug crimes in the country.