UAE | Crime
Driver caught with half-a-tonne of hashish sentenced to life in prison
A driver has been sentenced to 25 years in jail after he was caught hiding half-a-tonne of hashish in an underground hideout.
- By Bassam Zaza, Staff Reporter
- Published: 16:04 April 20, 2008
Dubai: A driver has been sentenced to 25 years in jail after he was caught hiding half-a-tonne of hashish in an underground hideout.
The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the 45-year-old Pakistani driver to life in prison. He was charged with possessing and attempted trafficking of hashish.
The accused denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.
An anti-narcotics official said: "An informant tipped us that the accused was searching for someone to buy from him hashish. The sale was sealed in Al Ghusais area and we arrested the driver in a sting operation. We seized about 200 kilograms of hashish in his possession."
During primary questionings, he claimed that his compatriot sent the drugs from Pakistan. "We discovered that the rest of the drugs were buried under one of the garages in a farm in Ras Al Khaimah. We raided the place and seized the remaining drugs which were hidden in seven sacks."
The verdict is still subject to appeal.
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