DUBAI // Three men are accused of importing 35 million pills containing the opiate diphenoxylate and 2.5 kilograms of tramadol, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said that the drugs were found in a shipping container at Jebel Ali Port during a routine inspection.
The manager of the company that imported the pills said he had given “his company’s importing code and documents to a man to use for importing legal goods in return for Dh1,000”, customs inspector M S told prosecutors.
Police arrested an Iranian man, who ordered the container, and his countryman, who finalised its shipping and customs clearance procedures. The Bangladeshi manager was also arrested.
The three defendants, Bangladeshi M K, 51, and Iranians H S, 42, and J Z, 41, were charged with importing the drugs.
The Bangladeshi in court yesterday denied the charge. “I had no idea the two wanted to import banned substances when I allowed them to use my company’s name and licence,” he said.
The next hearing will be on January 17 to summon the other two defendants.
salamir@thenational.ae