Dubai court sentences man to 10 years for buying drugs with cryptocurrency

Dubai: An African man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, fined Dh100,000, and ordered deported after serving his term, for purchasing narcotics with digital currency, according to Dubai court records.

The Dubai Court of Appeal upheld the ruling handed down by the Court of First Instance, which also included the confiscation of the seized drugs and paraphernalia. 

Dubai Police said the man had bought a variety of narcotics from an unidentified dealer and paid using cryptocurrency before being caught in possession of about 80 grams of marijuana and other banned substances.

Police said they had received a credible tip in December that the man was using and storing drugs in the Al Khawaneej area of Dubai. 

After securing a warrant from prosecutors, a police surveillance team tracked and arrested him. Officers testified that he appeared to be under the influence at the time of his arrest, though he did not smell of alcohol. 

A precautionary search uncovered packets of suspected drugs, which were sent for forensic testing.

A laboratory report confirmed the presence of marijuana, weighing nearly 80 grams, along with traces on two digital scales. Tests also detected tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis, in the defendant’s urine sample, evidence of recent drug use.