Man denies supplying heroin to detainee

Dubai: An employee denied in court yesterday the charge of smuggling heroin to a detainee who died of a drug overdose in police custody.

"I am not guilty. I didn't smuggle drugs into the prison or consume morphine," said the 22-year-old Emirati employee defending himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

Additional charge

According to the arraignment sheet, the Public Prosecution charged A.A. with making heroin available to A.M. by smuggling the drug into the detention centre. He was additionally charged with consuming morphine.

When Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout confronted the suspect with his charges, the latter pleaded not guilty.

An Emirati anti-narcotics second lieutenant testified that an informant alerted the police that the defendant smuggled drugs into the detention centre, which resulted in A.M.'s death.

Raid

"An anti-narcotics police squad raided the suspect's house in Muhaisnah… no drugs were found on his person, car or house. Upon questioning, he admitted that he smuggled heroin to a detainee in Al Qusais police station.

"He alleged that two detainees called and asked him to buy for them heroin for Dh1,500 from a suspect named R. in Sharjah."

A.A.'s lawyer said in court that his client used morphine as medication following a traffic accident.