Dubai: A murder convict on death row, who smuggled drugs for detainees confined at the Dubai Court’s detention centre, was given another sentence of one year in jail on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Afghan convict, B.G., who was recently sentenced to death for a premeditated murder, was exposed hiding the drugs inside his prison outfit while he was being escorted to attend a hearing at Dubai Courts in November 2013.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted B.G. of possessing 19 pills of two mind-altering substances and 2.2g of tramadol for promotional purposes.
Presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat handed the Afghan one year in jail followed by deportation in this separate sentence.
The accused entered a not guilty plea.
A drug enforcement captain said an informant alerted them that B.G. had planned to smuggle the drugs to detainees who were scheduled to be taken to Dubai Courts for trial.
“The informant alerted us that B.G. had collected drugs and was supposed to promote them to detainees who were brought to the confinement centre at Dubai Court’s building. A police patrol was dispatched to the building at Bur Dubai … once the police bus that was carrying B.G. arrived, we asked him to step out. We took him into custody and searched him. We found the drugs hidden in a blue nylon pouch that he placed [near] his genitals. The pouch contained pills and half-pills. Upon questioning him, the Afghan convict admitted he took the drugs from a detainee at the police station where he [B.G.] was detained and was supposed to hand them over to another suspect confined at another police station,” claimed the captain.
Two other drug enforcement officers confirmed the captain’s statement.
Thursday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
