Ruling against anti-narcotics official upheld

Dubai: A court has upheld a four-year prison term against an anti-narcotics consultant yesterday.

The Dubai Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of the Court of First Instance which convicted H.W. of possessing 0.6 gm of hashish for personal use. He will be deported after serving his term.

The Court of First Instance jailed him after he was convicted of smuggling and possessing 0.6gm of hashish and two poppy seeds for personal use, besides consuming hashish.

H.W.'s lawyer Saeed Al Gailani of Al Gailani Advocates and Legal Consultants, told Gulf News they will appeal the verdict before the Cassation Court.

H.W. worked as an international adviser with the Poppy Elimination Programme in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He also served as international consultant with the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes.

Al Gailani had told the Dubai Court of First Instance: "My client is an anti-narcotics officer who cooperates with the UNODC".

"During his one-hour transit visit from Kandahar where he was on an anti-narcotics campaign, he was caught at the airport carrying the poppy seeds, which he was taking to Canada for experiments."