Couple arrested in Sharjah over drug possession

Sharjah: An Arab couple — who are both hospital employees — were detained by Sharjah Police’s anti-narcotics department last week after police found a large quantity of drugs in their possession, Gulf News has learnt.

The husband identified as L.A., in his thirties, works at Al Qasimi Hospital as a senior nurse while his wife works at a military hospital in Sharjah.

A Sharjah Police official told Gulf News the police department received a tip-off that an illegal activity was being carried out by one of Al Qasimi Hospital’s staff members who was in possession of a huge number of Tramadol tablets.

Police raided his office and found the tablets in his office drawer.

The suspect was detained along with his wife. The investigation is still ongoing, the official said.

Dr Arif Al Nooryani, chief executive of Al Qasimi Hospital, told Gulf News the hospital was shocked as the suspect had a clean record with the hospital.

“Some medicine is prescribed to patients under doctors’ observation because they’re dangerous and could lead to addiction if misused.”

“We will wait for police investigations to be completed which will reveal whether the suspect is a drug addict or a drug dealer, and then the hospital management will issue its judgment on the issue,” Dr Nooryani said.

Al Nooryani said any human being could experience problems in his life which could make him turn to using drugs.

The hospital management had set a number of precautionary measures in place regarding prescribing medicines to avoid such activity in the future.

Tramadol is a painkiller which is used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain. The drug has a wide range of applications, including the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, restless legs syndrome, motor neurone disease and fibromyalgia.