A worker who smuggled drugs hidden in cartons of food into Dubai has been sentenced to seven years in jail.
The Bangladeshi, 25, was caught carrying packages of meat sauce filled with thousands of crystal meth capsules at Dubai International Airport on August 8 last year.
At about 1am, the defendant arrived in Dubai and had his suitcase scanned. A customs inspector told the court he was suspicious of the suitcase’s contents and stopped to ask the man what he was carrying in his bag.
“He insisted there was nothing banned in the cartons,” the inspector said. “I opened the suitcase, removed the cartons, searched within the meat and discovered a plastic bag stuffed with several red pills.”
Almost 3,750 capsules of crystal meth were seized from the man's bag.
At Dubai Criminal Court, the man denied charges of smuggling drugs, saying he did know what the cartons contained.
“I was at the airport before boarding to Dubai when a man started chatting with me. He asked if I would do him a favour and carry a box for his friend in Dubai,” the defendant said
"I agreed and he said that his acquaintance in the UAE will contact me."
The court cleared him of smuggling drugs but prosecutors appealed against the ruling. On Wednesday, Dubai Court of Appeal convicted the man of smuggling drugs and sentenced him to seven years in prison. He was also ordered to pay Dh50,000.
