Woman charged with smuggling narcotics

Ehab Atta, Staff Reporters

A Brazilian visitor, 30, tried to bring around two kilogrammes of heroin into the UAE via a UAE airport after hiding the same in the suitcase handle.

As Dubai Public Prosecution investigated the incident, a policeman from Dubai Police’s General Department of Anti-narcotics testified that the department received a tip-off that a Brazilian woman coming to the UAE from an African country would bring narcotics. The police were waiting for the arrival of the suspect. After being searched, the suspect’s suitcase was found to contain around two kilograms of heroin hidden in the suitcase’s iron handles. The suspect was remanded in custody.

Recently, the Dubai Criminal Court on Monday charged nine Asians with importing drugs in two separate cases. In the first case, seven Asians were charged with importing 72 kilograms of drugs, and in the second, two Asians illegally imported psychotropic substances in the form of medicinal slices and 74,340 prazolam tablets for peddling by hiding them in a wooden container.

According to the official records of the first case, a prosecution witness, a customs officer, testified that he was on duty in Jebel Ali Port when he suspected a container coming from an Asian country and reportedly carrying auto spare parts. Intensive investigations showed that the importer used usually to bring foodstuffs from unsuspected countries but this shipment was under suspicion for reasons related to the exporter. The shipment was put under guard until the person concerned came. The container was then inspected and the drugs were found hidden inside the auto spare parts.

In the second case, the prosecution witness, a Dubai Police officer, testified that Dubai Customs seized a huge quantity of narcotics in the form of pills hidden in a container. The clearing agent who would deliver the shipment to another emirate was summoned. He said two people would call him and tell him where to take the goods as soon as the shipment was cleared. The clearing agent was enabled to receive and transport the shipment and as soon as he arrived in the given place, an Asian came to arrange the process of unloading the container.