Businessman loses appeal, gets 7 years in jail
Found guilty of importing 150,000 Tramadol pills hidden in two containers
Dubai: A businessman lost his appeal on Wednesday and will be jailed for seven years for smuggling and possessing 150,000 Tramadol pills and transporting them via Dubai International Airport.
The Dubai Appeal Court upheld the seven-year prison term against the 45-year-old Pakistani businessman, M.S.
The appeal court also upheld a Dh50,000 fine against him.
According to Wednesday’s judgement, the accused will be deported following the completion of his jail term.
Prosecutors accused M.S. of smuggling and possessing Tramadol tablets with the purpose of selling them in Dubai. He denied he was going to sell them in Dubai.
“It’s true that I brought the drugs from my homeland… but I was heading to Malaysia. I was transiting in Dubai. I intended to transport the pills to Malaysia,” said M.S. when he defended himself in court.
An Emirati customs official said an anti-narcotics police team approached him wanting to search two containers at Jebel Ali Port.
“The anti-narcotics officers obtained prosecutors’ permission to search the containers. We found foodstuff and different medicines in the first container. There were two boxes that contained the Tramadol pills. The second container contained a substance that was banned by Dubai Customs. The importing company moved the first container outside the port where it remained for two weeks. The container remained untouched but was under constant surveillance by police and customs. Then it was removed inside and shipped to Malaysia.
“Nearly 45 days later, the Malaysian authorities returned the container to Jebel Ali Port because it lacked proper papers. Police arrested the defendant, who confessed that he imported the substances,” said the official. Prosecution records said the defendant re-imported the container to obtain a customs statement and send it back to Malaysia.
An Emirati anti-narcotics policeman testified that M.S. was arrested in a sting operation after luring him to the premises of the company that imported the container.
Wednesday’s judgement remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.
