An Asian man has been sentenced to two years in prison and fined AED 100,000 by the Dubai Criminal Court after being caught attempting to smuggle 480 capsules of a prohibited drug into the UAE, Gulf Today reported.
The court also ordered his deportation after serving his sentence. For two years following his release, he is banned from transferring or depositing money to others without approval from the UAE Central Bank and the Ministry of Interior. The confiscated capsules were also permanently seized.
The incident occurred when customs officers at Dubai Airport became suspicious of the man’s luggage during a routine screening. Though he initially denied carrying anything illegal, a search revealed the capsules. Laboratory analysis later confirmed that the contents were psychotropic substances listed under Schedule 8 of Federal Law No. 30 of 2021, which require a valid medical prescription.
During questioning, the man admitted that he had brought the medication from his home country to deliver it to someone in the UAE. However, he failed to provide any legal documentation to justify his possession. Despite changing his plea in court, evidence presented — including the customs officer’s testimony and a forensic report — confirmed he knowingly smuggled the banned substance into the country.