Dubai: A driver lost his appeal on Wednesday and will be jailed for life for possessing nine methamphetamine pills that he was caught selling to an informant for Dh500.
Drug enforcement officers apprehended the 32-year-old Bangladeshi driver, R.A., red-handed during a sting operation as he was selling the mind-affecting substances to an informant in September in Deira.
In February, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted R.A. of possessing drugs for trading purposes and jailed him for life. He was also fined Dh50,000 despite having entered a not guilty plea.
The defendant appealed his primary ruling and contended before the Dubai Appeal Court that he did not sell any drug.
He contended that he possessed the nine methamphetamine pills for his personal consumption and not for selling.
On Wednesday, presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm rejected R.A.’s appeal and upheld his primary ruling.
The accused will have to spend life in jailand pay a hefty fine of Dh50,000.
According to the appellate ruling, the accused will be deported following the completion of his punishment.
His court-appointed lawyer argued before the appeal court that the law enforcement procedures were carried out unlawfully against his client.
The lawyer asked the court to acquit his client of possessing the pills for trading purposes.
“The police money that the informant reportedly used to buy the purported pills was not seized in my client’s possession … he possessed the methamphetamine for his personal consumption and not for trading. Prosecutors’ evidence was insufficient to accuse the defendant of intending to sell the pills as claimed for Dh500,” contended the lawyer.
An anti-narcotics police lieutenant testified that an informant cautioned them that the defendant was searching for someone to buy banned pills from him.
“We obtained a prosecutors’ warrant and arranged to apprehend the defendant in a sting operation. We commissioned the informant to contact R.A. and arrange to meet him to buy the pills. We also provided the informant with police money that was photocopied to be used as future evidence against the defendant. The informant communicated with the defendant and they met in Al Muteena area … an undercover police squad that was monitoring the deal [being struck between the informant and R.A.] raided the location and apprehended the defendant. The latter was caught red-handed handing over the pills to the informant,” said the lieutenant.
The Bangladeshi was quoted as admitting to prosecutors that he sold the pills to the informant for Dh500.
The appellate ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.
