Pizza waiter jailed for life over 0.08g drugs

Dubai: Less than a gram of methamphetamine was more than enough to land a pizza waiter in jail for life after he was convicted of possessing it for trading purposes.

The 32-year-old Filipino convict, M.M., lost his legal battle on Monday after Dubai’s highest court rejected his appeal and upheld a life imprisonment against him.

The Dubai Cassation Court confirmed the life sentence against M.M. who was found guilty of possessing 0.08g of methamphetamine for trading purposes.

“The court has rejected the petitioner’s appeal. He will also have to pay a fine of Dh50,000. He will be deported following the completion of his punishment,” said presiding judge Abdul Aziz Abdullah in courtroom 22 in the presence of senior prosecutor Walid Bannai and senior secretary Jameel Mahdi.

In May, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted M.M. and his countryman waiter, R.S., of possessing methamphetamine for trading purposes.

Drugs prosecutors appealed the acquittal before the Appeal Court, that overturned the primary ruling and jailed the duo for life and fined them Dh50,000.

According to court records, R.S. did not go in for a last appeal before the Cassation Court, unlike M.M., who lost his legal battle on Monday.

The latter also faces a year in jail for consuming methamphetamine.

M.M. admitted in court earlier that he possessed the methamphetamine for personal use.

The defendants’ court-appointed lawyer argued that his clients did not possess the methamphetamine for trading purposes and that law enforcement procedures were carried out unlawfully against them.

The amount was too small for trading purposes or distribution, contended the lawyer.

“Besides M.M. confessed that he possessed the banned substance for his personal consumption,” he added.

An anti-narcotics policeman said an informant had agreed to purchase methamphetamine for Dh1,000 from R.S. at Al Riqqa.

“We obtained prosecutor’s permission to search and arrest the defendants. An anti-narcotics police team was dispatched to the area at 10.30am to watch the deal taking place between the informant and the defendants. We stayed in front of the pizza place where they worked. When the deal was sealed, police raided the place and busted the suspects. M.M. was detained outside the pizza place while R.S. was arrested inside. Upon searching their residence, police seized a few instruments used by addicts,” said the policeman.

Monday’s ruling has become irrevocable.