Dubai: An advertisement producer has been accused of smuggling 93gm of cocaine in the form of candy inside his luggage for his personal consumption.
A Customs inspector apprehended the 35-year-old Polish producer, M.M., at the arrivals terminal of Dubai International Airport after he discovered 30 green pieces of candy in his luggage in March.
Drugs prosecutors accused M.M. of smuggling and possessing drugs for his personal use.
Defending himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance, the suspect admitted that he possessed the candy but contended that he was not aware that it contained cocaine.
“Yes, I brought the seized substances with me but I was not aware that it had cocaine … I got them with me for my personal use,” said M.M.
“Since when have you been consuming cocaine?” presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi asked the suspect.
“I used to take cocaine more than a year ago … but not any more. I buy this candy in my country and eat it. It is a sweet and I did not know that it contained cocaine. I really did not know that it was cocaine … I thought it was candy. This candy contains coca flower and it is not a drug,” replied the suspect.
The Customs inspector testified to prosecutors that they searched the suspect’s luggage after they suspected that he might be carrying something banned.
“He arrived at the counter around midnight. When we searched his luggage, I found 30 pieces of green candy in the bottom of the bag. We examined the candy and discovered that it contained cocaine. We referred the suspect to Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department for further interrogations,” claimed the inspector.
The suspect asked presiding judge Al Shamsi for a lenient and quick ruling.
A judgement will be heard on May 25.
