Dubai Court jails man for smuggling psychotropic pills via DXB

Dubai: An African man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to smuggle nearly 2,000 psychotropic pills into the UAE, after Dubai’s criminal court found him guilty of bringing the prohibited substances through Dubai International Airport.

The Dubai Criminal Court also imposed a fine of Dh200,000 and ordered the defendant’s deportation upon completion of his sentence, according to Al Khaleej newspaper.

In addition, the court barred him from transferring or depositing funds for others, either directly or through intermediaries, without prior authorisation from the UAE Central Bank in coordination with the Ministry of Interior. The financial restriction will remain in force for two years after the prison term ends.

Court records show that customs inspectors became suspicious of the passenger while he was passing through the arrivals hall at Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport. 

An inspection revealed pharmaceutical strips hidden among food items inside a plastic bag, containing 990 pills weighing approximately 540 grams.

A further search of the man’s luggage uncovered an additional 1,000 psychotropic pills concealed among his clothing, bringing the total number of seized tablets to 1,990.

The defendant, aged 30, initially claimed that the pills were prescribed medication for personal use and said he had lost the medical prescription. He was subsequently referred to the relevant authorities, where police launched a formal investigation.

During questioning, the man later admitted that he had brought the pills into the country for purposes not authorised by law. Technical reports issued by specialised authorities confirmed that the seized substances are classified under the UAE’s schedules of prohibited narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.