Man caught with hashish blames mum's ignorance of UAE law

A passenger who was caught at the Abu Dhabi international airport for carrying hashish in his luggage claimed that his mother, who didn't know about the UAE laws, had put the drugs in the bag.
The Pakistani man working in the UAE was returning from his home country after a short holiday. He admitted to abusing drugs at an Abu Dhabi court and said that his mother packed them without his knowledge.
Official court documents stated that the Asian man was stopped at the Abu Dhabi international airport after custom officers suspected him of carrying drugs. He had arrived on a flight from Pakistan.
When the security officers checked his bag, they found a some small amount of hashish hidden inside the man's clothes. His urine samples also tested positive for hashish.
Prosecutors charged him with consuming drugs and trying to smuggle hashish into the UAE.
In the court, he admitted to the charge of using drugs and carrying the hashish in his bag but denied trying to smuggle the drugs into the country.
"I have been using drugs back home and not in the UAE," the Pakistani told court.
"I learned the habit from my family members and friends back home. Consuming drugs is a common thing in my home village and many young people do drugs."
The Pakistani man said that because his mum knew he used drugs, she must have packed some hashish in his back without knowing it would bring him trouble here.
"I had no idea my bag contained drugs. My mum must have put the hashish in the bag as she helped me pack as I was returning from holiday," the Pakistani said. "She had no idea that the law here bans drugs."
The man also pleaded to the judge to be lenient on him.
The trial was adjourned until May.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi

Ismail Sebugwaawo

ismail@khaleejtimes.com