Belgian jailed in Dubai on drugs charge

A court in the Gulf emirate of Dubai sentenced a Belgian man to four years in prison for possessing a small amount of hashish and marijuana, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old was arrested at Dubai International Airport after customs officers caught him carrying a "cigarette filled with hashish and marijuana seeds" weighing 1.32 grams (0.047 ounces), according to a report in a local newspaper.

The judge rejected the man's plea for leniency after he claimed to have embraced Islam during his detention.

The man, who was not named, will be deported after serving his sentence.

The UAE imposes tough penalties for all drug-related offences. Four years is the usual sentence for possession while trafficking carries the death penalty.  (AFP)