Dubai: 2 men smuggling 71kg drugs get lifetime imprisonment

Two men were sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of smuggling a large quantity of a controlled substance into Dubai.

The case dates back to March 29 this year, when customs officials at Dubai Airport intercepted a suspicious shipment arriving from India.

The shipment, consisting of four cartons, was flagged by a senior customs inspector during routine checks.

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Following established protocols, the packages were subjected to an X-ray scan, and upon further manual inspection, they were found to contain 148,380 capsules of Nervigesic, weighing a total of 71.52kg of Pregabalin, a psychotropic substance regulated under UAE law.

The Dubai Police’s General Department of Anti-Narcotics was flagged.

During questioning, a representative from the shipping company, an Indian national, said that he had come to clear the shipment as per instructions from one of the two accused, a fellow Indian national.

Investigation revealed that the Indian defendant had coordinated with a Pakistani national, who had ordered the shipment from abroad.

Upon being summoned for questioning, the Pakistani defendant admitted to his role in the operation.

Communications between the two were uncovered showing discussions about the shipment and its intended clearance.

In court, both defendants were charged with smuggling and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

The defendants denied the charges.

The representative, who was initially detained for clearing the shipment, was found to have acted in good faith and was unaware of the shipment’s true contents.

The court subsequently acquitted him.

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