Man, who tried to smuggle cocaine in condoms, gets 10 years in jail

A man, who tried to smuggle about 1kg of cocaine contained in 30 condoms in his intestines, has been sentenced to ten years in prison.
The 32-year-old Ecuadorian was caught at the Dubai International Airport after suddenly falling ill.
The Court of First Instance convicted him on Monday of drug smuggling and ordered him to pay Dh 50,000 worth of fine and that he be deported after completing his jail terms. 
Prosecution records show the defendant, who was transiting through Dubai International Airport, had 30 condoms filled with cocaine in his body. The incident took place on March 31.
The defendant reportedly admitted during police investigation that he tried to smuggle the drugs in his intestines with the intention of taking it to Hong Kong. The drug-soaked condoms weighed 902.82 grams, according to the police Crime Lab. "I was on night shift at Terminal 3. Around 6 am, a Duty Free employee alerted me about a man who was ill, but did not want to get treatment," a police officer testified.
"I found the accused bleeding from the head, but he did not look physically hurt. He was behaving awkwardly. Even when the paramedics arrived at the airport police centre, he was not cooperative," the officer said.
Scanning the CCTV recording at the airport, the policeman still couldn't spot how the accused had become injured. Another officer on duty during the defendant's stay in hospital said that he was present when 16 condoms were taken out of the toilet. "All the condoms were filled with cocaine. The accused confessed that to a doctor who spoke Spanish," he said.
The policeman denied the defendant's allegations that he was beaten and robbed of $1,800 which was in his pocket when he entered the toilet.
The verdict may be appealed.
mary@khaleejtimes.com