Dubai: A college student has been accused of consuming drugs and possessing heroin that was found hidden above the gas pedal in his vehicle during a drug bust.

Drug enforcement officers were said to have raided a petrol station in Mirdif following an informant’s tip off and apprehended the 23-year-old Bahraini student, A.F., while he had parked his car in front of an ATM machine in May.

Drugs prosecutors charged A.F. with possessing 0.43g heroin and consuming different kinds of drugs and mind-altering substances.

The student pleaded guilty and admitted that he possessed heroin for consumption and other banned substances when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Wednesday.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect consumed morphine, prazolam, procyclidine, carisoprodol, meprobamat and tramadol.

An anti-narcotics police lieutenant claimed to prosecutors that an informant tipped them off that the suspect possessed a huge amount of banned substances that he intended to promote for money among drug users.

“We obtained prosecutors’ permission to arrest the defendant and search him, his car and residence. The informant alerted us that the suspect was present in his car at a petrol station near Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed road. Drug patrols headed to the station and surrounded the defendant’s car that was parked beside the ATM. We opened the two front doors and spotted the suspect and one of his companions, who seemed under the influence of drugs. We identified ourselves as drug enforcement officers immediately. Primary interrogations revealed that his companion had a rich criminal record in drug crimes. We searched the car and found drugs and three syringes commonly used by drug addicts … we also found other instruments that addicts constantly use. Upon confronting A.F., he admitted that he got the drugs from someone whom he did not name. The suspect also admitted that he had been using the seized instruments before he threw them under his companion’s feet during the raid. The two were taken into custody,” said the lieutenant.

Records did not mention whether any legal action was pursued against the other person who accompanied A.F.

A ruling will be heard soon.