A Dubai criminal court has sentenced an African man to seven years in prison after convicting him of attempting to smuggle nearly 2,000 psychotropic pills into the UAE through Dubai International Airport.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a Dh200,000 fine and ordered the man’s deportation after he completes his sentence, according to Al Khaleej newspaper.
The court also banned the defendant from transferring or depositing money for others—either directly or through intermediaries—without prior approval from the UAE Central Bank in coordination with the Ministry of Interior. This financial restriction will remain in effect for two years following the end of his prison sentence.
Court records show that customs officers grew suspicious of the passenger while he was passing through the arrivals hall at Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport. A search uncovered pharmaceutical strips hidden among food items inside a plastic bag, containing 990 pills weighing about 540 grams.
Further inspection of his luggage revealed an additional 1,000 psychotropic pills concealed among his clothing, bringing the total number of seized tablets to 1,990.
The 30-year-old defendant initially claimed that the pills were prescription medication for personal use, saying he had misplaced the medical prescription. However, during questioning, he later admitted that he had brought the pills into the country for purposes not permitted by law.
Technical reports from specialised authorities confirmed that the seized pills are classified under the UAE’s list of prohibited narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
