British man tried to sell cocaine to undercover Dubai Police officer, court hears

The 26-year-old was arrested after a sting operation was set up by police

A man was arrested after allegedly trying to sell drugs to an undercover Dubai Police officer. Pawan Singh / The National

A British man attempted to sell cocaine to an undercover police officer in Dubai, a court heard.

Dubai Police set up a sting operation after being told the 26--year-old was dealing drugs through Telegram, a messaging service.

He was arrested after allegedly trying to sell the drug for Dh4,500 in Al Barsha, Dubai in June.

The Briton was charged with possessing and selling drugs at Abu Dhabi Federal Court of First Instance.

“When we met him, he was confused and looking around before handing over the drugs,” said a 30-year-old Emirati police officer.

“I was with the police source during the meeting that happened in a public place in Al Barsha.”

During prosecution questioning, the accused denied selling drugs.

“I bought the drug through WhatsApp a day before the arrest but the next day the seller asked me to return it and I did,” the defendant told investigators.

“It was then that I got arrested. But I can’t remember the details because I was under the influence of alcohol,”

Citing discrepancies in testimonies, the defendant’s lawyer Awatif Mohammed Khouri insisted on witnesses being cross-examined.

Judges ordered witnesses be summoned before court and scheduled the next hearing on January 5.