Suspects deny tampering with import

Dubai: A Pakistani and four Nigerian men have pleaded not guilty to charges that they tried to smuggle in 20.75 kg of heroin in boxes of oranges from Pakistan with the intent to sell the contraband in the UAE, a court heard.

Records showed sleuths of the anti-narcotics enforcement department recovered 400 transparent nylon bags containing the drug from 101 cartons of oranges. The suspects imported around 600 boxes of oranges and marked each of the cartons that contained the drugs with a stamp.

The Public Prosecution charged the 33-year-old Pakistani trader, S.A., and the Nigerians - O.J., 33; O.T., 29; E.J., 35; and 31-year-old security guard N.O. - with importing the 101 boxes of oranges inside which they concealed drugs they intended to sell in the UAE.

The five suspects denied the charges when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance. However, O.J., who alone was charged with consuming hashish, admitted he had taken drugs while in Nigeria.

An anti-narcotics police lieutenant colonel testified during the hearing: "An informer told us S.A. was importing a huge container of oranges which contained drugs. We arrested the person named M.R. who finalised the container's customs papers. He said S.A. had paid him a huge amount of money to get the customs papers cleared fast. We arrested the trader, who claimed he was only liaising between the importers and the Nigerians."

An anti-narcotics police sergeant who questioned S.A. said the latter had received Rs100,000 for each imported kilogramme of heroin.

The Nigerians were arrested during a sting operation when they went to collect the drugs.