Dubai: A Syrian transit passenger was cleared of smuggling and possessing Rs215,500 (Dh14,888) in counterfeit banknotes for business purposes after arguing that he was unaware the money was fake.
The 44-year-old passenger claimed before the Dubai Court of First Instance recently that he runs a restaurant in India and had never faced any legal problems since he started transiting through Dubai 20 years ago.
“I didn’t possess any counterfeit banknotes and I had no clue that the money was fake. Please let me go because my family is staying alone in India without any supporter. Security unrest in my country urged me to move my wife and children to India where it is safer. Because of this case, now they’ve been left without support,” claimed 44-year-old M.M. when he entered an innocent plea.
Citing lack of corroborated evidence, the court acquitted the suspect.
Prosecutors charged M.M. with smuggling counterfeit banknotes for business purposes.
He was also charged with attempting to swindle Rs60,000 (Dh4,042) from a money exchange at Dubai International Airport when he tried to change the money into US dollars.
“I am not a swindler. I constantly travel via Dubai. On that particular day I was heading to Turkey. I got the money through a money transfer… I did not know that it was counterfeit. When I gave a bundle of that money to the teller, he told me the money was fake. I handed him another bundle. Again he told me that it was counterfeit… then the police arrested me,” argued the defendant.
Prosecution records said the Indian teller reported the matter to his supervisor who informed the airport police.
An Emirati police sergeant said the defendant denied the accusation claiming that he was unaware that the money was counterfeit.
The suspect further argued in court that his friend wired him the money and that he didn’t have any criminal intention.
He provided the court with a copy of his trade licence to prove that he owns a restaurant in India and travels via Dubai for business purposes.
