Dubai: A passenger was held after he was found in possession of 24kg of heroin hidden in five bags that contained prayer beads, prayer mats and copies of the Quran at Dubai International Airport.
Drugs prosecutors accused the 30-year-old Pakistani passenger, M.T., of smuggling and possessing heroin for promotional purposes and asked for the implementation of the life sentence against him.
However, the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday scrapped the charge of possessing drugs for promotional purposes against M.T. and accused him of smuggling and possessing heroin without particular intent.
“The court has decided to modify the accusation and drop the promotional intent,” presiding judge Mohammad Jamal said when he levelled the new charge against M.T.
“Yes, I brought the substance with me but I did not know what it was,” argued the visitor when he entered a plea.
“Why did you bring it with you then?” the judge asked him.
“A person handed me the five bags and asked me to take them with me to Dubai and give them to someone else,” replied M.T.
An Emirati customs inspector testified to prosecutors that the suspect’s luggage was scanned at the arrivals terminal in June.
“The scanning machine revealed that each of the five bags had a double-layered bottom. When we opened the bags, we found prayer mats, prayer beads and copies of the Quran along with foods and the drugs. When the passenger [M.T.] went to pick up his luggage at the belt, he was taken into custody. The heroin was stacked inside nylon sacks wrapped with black tape,” claimed the inspector.
A ruling will be heard on October 28.
