Dubai Three men and a woman have been jailed for life for possessing nearly 23kg of heroin capsules for trading purposes.

Drugs Prosecution asked for the implementation of a capital punishment against the four defendants, a 49-year-old Pakistani woman, S.A., and her two countrymen 36-year-old M.N. and 28-year-old Q.R., and a 35-year-old Indian I.A., who were charged with possessing heroin for trading purposes.

The Dubai Court of First Instance jailed each of the quartet for life after they were convicted of possessing drugs for peddling purposes.

Court records said the woman peddler, S.A., and M.N. had been working in trading drugs and smuggling different forms of drugs in/out of the UAE for the past ten years.

Prosecutors accused the four defendants of possessing heroin for trading purposes. Meanwhile Q.R., and I.A. were solely charged with consuming morphine.

Pronouncing Monday's judgment, Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad said: "All the defendants will be jailed for life. Q.R. and I.A. will also have to spend additional four years in jail each for consuming drugs. All the accused will be deported following the completion of their punishments."

An Emirati first lieutenant in Dubai Police's anti-narcotics department testified that an informant alerted them that the defendants possessed drugs for trading purposes in their residence in Al Baraha.

"We raided the flat and arrested the defendants. Upon searching the flat, we found a huge pot that contained large amounts of heroin capsules. We also found a box that contained tennis balls that were stuffed with heroin as well. During questioning, the woman claimed that she and the other suspects smuggled the heroin capsules into Dubai with the assistance of five persons. She alleged that travelers come from Pakistani after having stuffed the capsules in their stomachs and intestines… then after they collect the capsules, they would empty the heroin so it doesn't get ruined. Then they would rewrap it in new capsules and make it ready to be smuggled out or sell it in he market," claimed the first lieutenant.

Prosecution records said the woman claimed that she had been working in peddling drugs for five years. Meanwhile M.N. claimed during questioning that he had been working in peddling drugs with S.A. for ten years.

The primary judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days.