Woman sentenced to 15 years in Dubai jail for trying to smuggle drugs in underwear
She tells court the Brazil drug mafia had threatened to kill her if she refused to smuggle cocaine to South Africa
Dubai: A transit passenger has been jailed for 15 years for smuggling 3.5 kilograms of cocaine in her underwear via Dubai International Airport.
The 24-year-old South African woman, N.F., was also fined Dh200,000. She claimed before the Dubai Court of First Instance that she faced death threats from Brazilian drug cartels.
“I was a victim of pressure and force. The mafia threatened to kill me,” said N.F. while defending herself in court.
“She will be deported following the completion of her punishment,” said presiding Judge Mohammad Jamal.
Drugs prosecutors accused the defendant of smuggling and possessing cocaine in transit.
She was caught on January 24.
An Emirati policewoman grew suspicious of N.F. because she appeared to be walking with difficulty at the arrivals terminal and appeared frightened.
The accused hinted in court earlier that the drug mafia in Brazil had threatened to kill her if she refused to smuggle the cocaine to South Africa.
The policewoman testified that she spotted the defendant at Terminal 3.
“The way she walked gave me the impression that she had hidden something between her legs. When I searched her, I realised there was a strange bulginess in her underwear. She looked embarrassed when she removed her dress. I spotted a big pouch stitched inside the underwear. I made a hole in the pouch and realised that she was carrying a white suspicious substance that turned out to be cocaine. She claimed that she was carrying the drugs to someone called Ubi in South Africa,” the policewoman said.
Tuesday’s judgement remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
