Dubai: Two college students have been jailed for seven years each for smuggling and possessing around 300 Pregabalin capsules that they claimed to have brought as medicine for the mother of one of them.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the duo, a 21-year-old Lebanese and a 22-year-old Iranian, of smuggling and possessing around 300 Pregabalin capsules for their own use.
Appearing in court, the defendants pleaded not guilty and claimed that they had brought the capsules for medical purposes for the Iranian defendant’s mother.
Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal also fined the defendants Dh50,000 each.
According to Tuesday’s ruling, they will be deported following the completion of their punishments.
In an earlier hearing, the Iranian’s mother stepped in to defend her 22-year-old son and explained that he got the pills for her as a medication.
She argued before the judge that she suffered from pain in her joints and that her son had asked his Lebanese friend to purchase for her the banned painkillers from Iran.
“My son arranged for the pills to be purchased from Iran; the seized pills are for medical purposes and they were brought to me upon a prescription,” the mother told the court.
The Lebanese had pleaded his innoncence and argued that he brought the pills from Iran for his friend’s mother.
“When I was in Iran, the Iranian defendant called and asked me if I could purchase a medicine for his sick mother, and I did. I was not aware that it is banned substance in the UAE,” he contended.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old told the court that he had asked his friend to purchase the pills with him from Iran as a medicine for his sick mother.
The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
