Two sailors convicted of smuggling more than 40kg of drugs inside their boat's fuel tanks have won an appeal against their ten-year jail terms.
The two Iranian seafarers, aged 37 and 38, were arrested after a swoop by customs inspectors acting on information that the vessel was travelling into UAE waters loaded with drugs.
During a search of the boat on November 20 of last year, inspectors found a variety of illicit substances - including heroin, opium and methamphetamine - stashed in the diesel tanks.
Officers also found more than 9,000 tablets and capsules of drugs such as methadone and tramadol during the search.
The two sailors insisted they were unaware the haul of drugs was hidden on the boat.
They were convicted of drug smuggling charges at Dubai Criminal Court last July, along with the boat's 30-year-old captain.
The three men were sentenced to ten years in prison, to be followed by deportation, and each fined Dh150,000.
The two sailors were acquitted at Dubai Court of Appeal on Sunday due to insufficient evidence against them.
The conviction of the boat's captain was upheld.
During police questioning, he had admitted he was aware the drugs were on board and were due to be distributed in Dubai.
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
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