Man jailed for life, seven others given 15-year terms

Dubai: A porter has been sentenced to life imprisonment while seven others, including two women, will spend 15 years in jail each on charges of smuggling and keeping possession of nearly three kilograms of heroin for trafficking purposes.

The Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday jailed the 30-year-old prime suspect, C.M. for life after he was convicted of drug peddling charges.

Presiding Judge Mohammad Jamal Kamel also jailed seven other defendants, including a 60-year-old mother, B.A., and a 40-year-old wife, S.F., for 15 years and fined them Dh100,000 each for smuggling and possessing heroin for trading purposes.

"All the defendants will be deported after serving their punishments," said Presiding Judge Kamel in courtroom nine.

All the accused in the case are Pakistani nationals.

The mother pleaded not guilty in court. "I have tuberculosis… my son gave me a medicine but I didn't know that it contained drugs," B.A. argued.

Smuggling charge

Prosecutors charged B.A. with smuggling three capsules weighing 34.31 grams of heroin.

The Drugs Prosecution charged C.M. of possessing 11.6 grams of heroin to be offered as promotional samples.

A 46-year-old visitor, I.S., was charged with smuggling 75 heroin capsules weighing 858 grams and consuming drugs.

C.M. claimed he did not know that the substance that was found in his possession was drugs.

Another suspect, M.A., 30, told the court: "I smuggled 1.4 kilograms of drugs for my personal use."