Drug dealers face tougher terms on appeal

The Dubai Court of Appeal turned down and stiffened the ten years and two years jail sentences that had been issued against two Pakistanis after charging them guilty of smuggling, for the first, and possessing for the second, 41Kgs tramadol tablets.

The Appeal Court cancelled the First Instance verdict and awarded each of MA, 37, trader and SF, 50 visitor life in jail sentence followed by deportation in addition to Dh200,000 fine.

The First Instance Court had on October 22, last year, sentenced MA, to ten years in jail and ordered him to pay Dh200,000 fine, and sentenced SF to two years in jail and ordered him to pay Dh50,000 fine. This sentence was turned down by the appeal stiffening it to life in jail term and Dh200,000 fine to each of the convict following appeals been made by the two convicts and the Dubai Prosecution.

According to the records, the Jebel Ali Customs suspected a container that arrived from Pakistan so the Dubai Police Anti-Narcotics Department was informed.

Checking the container without opening it, police did not find anything; however, a ray test showed that it might be containing drugs.

Police checked the owner of the container who was MA, 37, trader and pulled his leg for arrest after taking the necessary permissions, testified Corporal Mohammed Abdul Rahman.

“I am the owner of the container and I have an import-export company in Dubai and another in Pakistani and I operate between the two countries,” MA told officials.

I know that the container contained medicine as my office in Pakistani told me but I was unaware that they were drugging tablets. I was supposed to hand over the medicine to a man in the country.

Police took the trader to his container which was opened in front of him.

Police found large quantities of drug tablets in addition to a banned substance that he admitted his intention to selling to prospect buyers. He also admitted that he intended to hand over the medicine to someone called SF, claiming that he did not know that they were tramadol tablets.

However, the Customs Clearance document was not included any medical items which proved the criminal intention of the accused.

Police arranged with the accused to drag SF to arrest him red handed.

SF was arrested while receiving the tramadol tablets at Naif area.

Other police officers repeated the same testimony.

The Dubai Prosecution had accused MA, 32, is accused of smuggling and possessing for trade purpose the large quantity of drugs, while SF, 50, visitor was accused of possessing for trade purpose the quantity.

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