Three held for possessing drug-laced banknotes in Dubai

Ehab Atta, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Criminal Court on Sunday started hearing a case in which 3 Gulf nationals were apprehended in Al Barsha Police Station on charges of possessing 15 UAE banknotes contaminated with heroin, methamphetamine, alprazolam and pregabalin.

According to the official records, a sergeant at the Al Barsha Police Police Station testified that while he was on duty on Friday, he heard two prisoners knocking on the door of the ward and telling him that a person would bring them an amount of money to give back to some other prisoners and buy stuff from the canteen. The sergeant told them that money could be delivered only on Sundays but they insisted and requested him to help them.

The sergeant called the captain accordingly but the latter refused to comply with the prisoners’ wish. Around 10 minutes later, a person came to deliver the money to a prisoner and told the sergeant that the prisoner had already obtained the approval of the officer in charge. The sergeant, however, called the officer who told him to put the money in the safety deposit box.

After receiving the amount, the sergeant noticed that some of the banknotes were wet. When asked by the sergeant, the first defendant noticed that he was confused and was stammering. The first defendant told the sergeant that the second defendant asked him to meet a person and receive a sum of money for delivery to another prisoner – third defendant.

After being examined at the forensic laboratory, the money turned out to be contaminated with heroin, alprazolam and pregabalin.

Following interrogation, the first and second defendants were charged with abusing narcotics and psychotropic substances while the first defendant was charged with possessing narcotics and psychotropic substances.

Separately, three GCC students aged between 21-22 caused injuries to another, with a 10 per cent permanent disability, in a fight between them.

The victim and his friend who was on the scene said that prior to the crime, he was speaking to the first suspect and they exchanged insults which turned into a quarrel.