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28 March 2024

Tourist hid drugs in leg cast; jailed

Nigerian transit visitor possessed 146 capsules. (Shutterstock)

Published
By Eman Al Baik

A Swedish tourist who smuggled more than 6kgs of cocaine in his leg cast was on Tuesday sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance also ordered AM, 49, to pay Dh50,000 fine and to be deported after serving his jail term.

According to the records, AA, 49, wrapped the drugs around his leg as a cast and attempted to enter the country through Dubai International airport.

First Lieutenant Abdullah Hassan, said that at around 10:40pm on March 12 the defendant was spotted acting suspiciously at Dubai airport's Terminal 3.

He claimed that his leg was broken, hence the cast. He was taken for metal detector test and then body search.

"While searching him, I noticed something hard around his leg. I asked him what that was. He answered that his legs were broken and so that was the cast," testified the officer.

The officer asked the passenger to submit medical documents.

While stepping towards his luggage bag where he claimed he has the documents, he tried to escape.

Policeman caught him and was taken for interrogation.

In the room the passenger offered US $100 to the policeman to let him go after his cover was blown.

"Searching him we found out that his two legs were wrapped with gypsum from his thigh down to below his knees. However, his knees were left without cast to enable free movement.

"I again asked him for medical documents... he was sent to the Airport's clinic and the doctor on duty assured that it was a mere trick and that the passenger does not sustain any fracture or injury. It was not a cast and the wrap was not done professionally. It was found out that the passenger had bandages around his thighs where he hid 8 packets, four on each leg.

The passenger admitted to smuggling cocaine from Brazil. He said that one of his acquaintances asked him to smuggle drugs from Brazil to Dubai for Euro 2,000.

He claimed that his friend had asked him to leave the drugs in one of the toilets at the airport.

The sentence remains subject to appeal within 15 days.