UAE | Crime

Three medical students in the dock for consuming hashish

Three medical students are standing trial for consuming hashish, and a Somali woman, from whom they claimed they obtained the drugs, has also been charged with possession of marijuana.

  • By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
  • Published: 00:30 February 29, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Three medical students are standing trial for consuming hashish, and a Somali woman, from whom they claimed they obtained the drugs, has also been charged with possession of marijuana.

The Public Prosecution charged two Tanzanian brothers, Y.J. and S.J., and a 22-year-old Saudi, Z.A., along with 32-year-old Somali housewife, L.M., with consuming hashish. The woman alone was charged with possessing 21.4 grams of marijuana.

The students' lawyer Obaid Ali Obaid told the Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday that his clients' academic future in the medical industry is at risk because of this case.

"The law enforcement procedures were unlawfully carried out against my clients. Law enforcement officers failed to conduct serious or proper enquiries about the tip-off which they received from their informant," he said in his defence.

A first lieutenant in Dubai police's anti-narcotics department testified: "We received a tip-off that the suspects were taking drugs. We didn't find any drugs in the suspects' possession after they were arrested in a shopping mall's parking lot. They informed us that L.M. was scheduled to support them with marijuana in Sharjah."

The court recently modified the woman's charges from possessing drugs for commercial intent to possessing marijuana with no intent.

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