The arrest of a passenger in Dubai International Airport with heroin stuffed in the handle of his bag has exposed a smuggling network operating across Dubai and Nigeria.
Abdullah Ahmad, 25, inspector, took RIJ, 34, into custody on February 11 after scanning images showed the bag he carried had different densities.
The investigation team later found 651.6 grams of heroin from inside the handles, Ahmad told the Prosecution.
When questioned, initially the accused said he had no knowledge of the stuff, as he borrowed the bag from one of his friends, Omran Asheq, policeman, said in court.
However, an intestine scanning proved RIJ had swallowed drugs, and therefore, the Anti-Narcotics Department was notified, Ahmed added.
A search also found the accused was carrying two mobile phones - one with a UAE SIM card and the other with a Nigerian SIM card.
Asheq told the court: "While the investigations were still on, the accused received a SMS saying 'when are you going to finish the job? My husband is upset with me. Suspecting it might be related to the confiscated heroin, I replied to the SMS saying 'the job is done... everything is fine and the quantity is with me.' A little later, we received a reply asking RIJ to call on a UAE mobile number that was mentioned in the SMS. Further investigations proved the UAE number holder was staying at Al Maha Hotel in Naif area."
"We found out that the mobile number mentioned had been issued only three days earlier. Investigations also found that an African visitor had given the hotel staff the same mobile number," the policeman added.
Once RIJ was told of the information we had, he confessed to the crime. RIJ allegedly told the investigating policemen that a Nigerian called Folani had assigned him to smuggle the drugs to Dubai and hand them over to a Sicilian for $1,500.
The same day, Ismaeel Issa, 38, policeman arrested SRS, 35, a visitor, from the hotel. A red box comprising a wodden turtle, $22,000 and a sheet of paper with the modus operandi for smuggling the drugs mentioned was confiscated from his room.
Asking him about the amount, SRS said that a Sicilian woman called Crystal had sent him to Dubai with the amount and asked him to meet an African to whom he had to hand over the money after taking the bag stuffed with heroin. He was instructed to return to Sicily with $1,000.
The case has been adjourned to next month.