Labourer gets three years for sexual assaulting minor

A man was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy in a hotel room. Q.M., a 32-year-old labourer, will be deported after serving time in jail.

The Criminal Court of First Instance convicted him of luring J.H. into a hotel room in Dubai and molesting him on September 15 last year.

Records revealed that the suspect from Bangladesh met J.H. four days after Eid Al Fitr at Mega Mall in Sharjah and offered him Dh300 to give him company. J.H., a Bangladeshi student, said he went with the suspect in a taxi to a hotel room where he was sexually assaulted by Q.M.

During investigations, Q.M. denied the charges and told prosecutors that he had never met the victim. However, J.H. had noticed a scar on the back of Q.M.'s left shoulder, which was confirmed by a forensic report.

Drug mule arrested: Cocaine worth Dh6m seized

Authorities arrested a suspec-ted drug mule for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth Dh6 million, an official said.

Ali Al Maghawi, Senior Manager, Airport Operations Department, Dubai Customs, said it is the biggest drug bust so far this year at Dubai International Airport.

The unidentified passenger arrived from Addis Ababa and was caught with 3kg of cocaine in his suitcase. He was reportedly travelling from Accra in Ghana via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and was scheduled to land in an Asian country.

During questioning, the passenger admitted to having smuggled the cocaine through Dubai and said he was promised $3,000 (Dh11,010) as payment for his services.

Two held : Cop pleads not guilty in rape case

A policeman pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to aiding and abetting his friend in the kidnapping, beating and rape of a man.

A.E., 20, a Dubai-based Emirati policeman, was charged alongside K.M., 23, a jobless Emirati, with threatening and assaulting A.S., a 21-year-old Emirati. K.M. was charged with raping the victim, while A.E. was charged with helping him. Both suspects denied the charges before the Criminal Court of First Instance.

On September 29, 2010, Victim A.S. met K.M. on Jumeirah Beach Road, got into a car with him and a third man and headed to A.E.'s house. Upon their arrival, the suspects forced A.S. inside the villa.

The next hearing is on April 6.

Driver denies sexual abuse charge

A driver pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of sexually assaulting a man.

Suspect S.Z., a 44-year-old Pakistani, instead admitted that he was inebriated and hence started fighting with the victim following an argument.

S.Z. was charged with tearing off victim L.P.'s clothes and sexually assaulting him.

Records revealed that S.Z. approached L.P., 21, from Nepal, while he was on the roof of their workers' quarters in Jebel Ali.

After chatting with him for a while, L.P. tried to leave but S.Z. didn't let him and instead closed the door and grabbed his arm, he told prosecutors.

S.Z. then asked L.P. to touch him inappropriately, but L.P. refused, records revealed.

The suspect told prosecutors that he was on the roof checking the antenna and then he had an argument and fought with L.P.

A verdict will be issued on March 27.