15 years in jail for woman who smuggled cocaine into Dubai

A woman who smuggled more than three kilograms of cocaine to Dubai is sentenced to 15 years in prison.

DUBAI // A woman who smuggled more than three kilograms of cocaine into Dubai has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

NF, 24, from South Africa, was also fined Dh200,000 and will be deported after serving her jail term.

She was arrested at Dubai International Airport at 2am on January 24 this year by the Emirati policewoman AO, 34, who said she noticed the woman walking strangely.

"She was tense and scared," recalled the policewoman, who gave the woman a full body search. "She refused to take off her trousers after we noticed there was a strange thickness between her legs."

When the woman gave in, the policewoman found a large bag of drugs taped to the woman's underwear.

"She told me she was taking the drugs to someone in South Africa," added the policewoman.

The woman claimed that a gang in Brazil had threatened to kill her if she did not smuggle the drugs for them.

"I am a victim of force," she said in court.

The Criminal Court's verdict remains subject to appeal within 15 days.