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UAE: Indian DJ jailed for 25 years over drugs found in cake appeals verdict

Masterminds of extortion scheme also framed Bollywood actress, many others, according to Mumbai Police

The wife of an Indian DJ, who has been sentenced to 25 years in jail in a drug case in Sharjah, has expressed her faith in the UAE's judicial system as the family appeals the verdict passed against her husband. Clayton Rodrigues, 37, from Mumbai, was imprisoned after being apprehended at Sharjah Airport with a drug-laden cake in June 2023.

Clayton's wife, Falyn, believes he was entrapped in the case and will be proven innocent. Speaking to Khaleej Times over the phone from Mumbai, she said: "The UAE upholds high standards of justice, and I believe justice will prevail."

Falyn's hope is fuelled by a Mumbai Police report stating that Clayton has been framed by a baker and his accomplice, who tricked numerous others in a similar fashion.

According to Mumbai Police, the baker misguided unsuspecting victims into unknowingly carrying drugs into UAE and then tipped local authorities about the contraband. After their arrest upon arrival, the baker would contact their families and pretend to offer legal assistance through lawyers in Sharjah. However, rather than helping, he would exploit the situation by demanding money from victims' families for purported legal expenses, police said.

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One of the baker's victims was Indian actress Chrisann Pereira. Earlier, Khaleej Times reported how Pereira flew to the UAE on April 1, 2023, thinking she had landed an acting job. As it turns out, she was tricked by two men who falsely promised her an audition and a role in a Hollywood web series. They duped her into carrying a trophy filled with drugs, claiming it was a prop for the audition. Pereira's arrest upon landing exposed the scheme. Mumbai police caught the baker and his accomplice RB, resulting in Pereira's release from Sharjah Jail.

However, Clayton wasn't as fortunate. He fell into the baker's trap in February, just weeks before Pereira, after receiving a drug-laced cake, according to Mumbai Police. The baker confessed to the police about baking the cake with cannabis and poppy seeds hidden inside. Falyn said they have provided the confession and call records to Clayton's lawyers in the UAE.

These records reveal that the tip-off informing Sharjah authorities about the drug came from a number operated by the baker. Police records indicate that he operated multiple SIM cards but used one number for each victim to carry out the crime.

Falyn said the situation has deeply affected their family, especially their daughter and Clayton's bedridden father.

In an email to Khaleej Times, she recounted the events leading up to Clayton being lured into the trap with a job offer as a DJ in a new Mumbai hotel. She detailed how the baker's accomplice, RB, convinced her husband to go to the UAE to show his skills to potential investors.

"RB was supposed to accompany Clayton, but just before the flight, he backed out, citing urgent work. Instead, he asked Clayton to transport the cake for him as a gesture to the investors. "Clayton had offered to purchase the cake himself, but RB insisted he had already bought it from the bakery favoured by the investors. RB handed over the cake, advising him to pack it in his bag to avoid suspicion from the Sharjah authorities, as it was labelled as a food item," she added. Deputy Commissioner Krishnakant Upadhyay, speaking to Indian media, said that the baker created fake stories to lure victims and arranged their travel to Sharjah. "He himself would then alert the police and airport authorities, providing details of the individual and orchestrating their arrest," said Upadhyay. "He has targeted four people in the past, and Chrisann Pereira was his fifth victim."

Mumbai Police said the baker had a grudge against Clayton and set him up as he did with others.

Falyn said she learned about her husband's arrest through a text message received on February 6, 2023. "When we checked, we found that it was the same number used to contact Clayton for the job offer and book his tickets. After that, the phone number was switched off."

She added that the baker contacted them shortly after, claiming he could secure Clayton's release through his connections, but only if they provided him with $98,000. "We were numb listening to all this. It was as if our whole world was suddenly torn apart."

Now, Falyn's hope rests with the judiciary system of the Emirates and she believes the family will get justice.

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