UAE jails Pakistani for Holy Quran drugs haul: Report

Defendant fined $54,500, to be deported after serving sentence


Afp October 29, 2014

DUBAI: A Dubai court jailed a Pakistani for 15 years for smuggling heroin in bags containing copies of Holy Quran, prayer mats and other religious paraphernalia, a report said Wednesday.

The 30-year-old man, identified only by his initials MT, was convicted of possessing 24 kilogrammes of heroin that was stashed in five bags with hidden compartments, the Gulf News daily said.

"When we opened the bags, we found prayer mats, prayer beads and copies of the Holy Quran along with food and the drugs," a Dubai International Airport customs inspector was quoted as saying.

The defendant was fined $54,500 and will be deported after serving his sentence, the report said.

He has 15 days to appeal the ruling by the Dubai court of first instance.

Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, has strict drug laws.

Trafficking in illegal narcotics is punishable by death, although the sentences are often commuted to life imprisonment.

Drug possession without the intent to "promote" the narcotics carries lighter penalties.

COMMENTS (8)

Lolz | 9 years ago | Reply

@Azi: Brother, firstly, Noble prize is a western award, not a global. Secondly, a hero and villian should always be determined by respective countries not by an organization or any award. Thirdly, west doesn't determine the majority of world's population, though they are developed and control media and information, but that doesn't determine they should be given the global control. So please, instead of imposing Malala on Pakistani brains, we should decided once for all our heroes and villians and move on. We see thousands of people reaching west, exploring their lucks, some reach at the top, some fail, some get deported, some get accepted, some get asylum, some do paper marriage, some do smuggling, some start preaching Islam, it will go on and on as we have been unable to focus on our own problems, priorities and foes in comparison to the rest of Muslim and Non-Muslim countries..... So whoever thinks, West (Might) is right, Malala would be hero, VERY SIMPLE ..... Lolz

Ruff | 9 years ago | Reply

@Azi: Im Pakistani and I can only encourage you to broaden your mind and stop thinking that everything is a sazish. Only you smell a rat; im afraid the rat was caught smuggling drugs. And please dont use your "few ignorant" line on a fellow Pakistani; we are well aware of who supports Malala and to what extent.

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