A 20-year-old woman from Uganda stands trial in Dubai for carrying 4.5 kilograms of qat leaves at the Dubai International Airport.
Qat or khat, a flowering plant native to Ethiopia, is classified as a stimulant drug. Possession, consumption or trafficking of this drug constitute a criminal offence in the UAE.
The airport officials noticed the woman carrying a box that looks unusually heavy.
The woman denied that she was carrying illegal items, according to the Dubai Criminal Court.
“We searched the box and found bananas inside,” a customs officer told the court.
“There were many banana leaves rolled tightly and when we unfolded them, we found the qat leaves,” the officer added.
A verdict will be handed over on October 10.
