DUBAI // The acquittal of two men charged with smuggling drugs with the intent to sell has been overturned on appeal.
Y Z, 58, an Iranian, was sentenced to life in prison on Sunday by Dubai Court of Appeal. Co-accused A A, 38, was sentenced to 10 years in jail and a Dh50,000 fine.
Earlier, the Criminal Court had sentenced A A to a year in jail for consuming drugs, while both he and Y Z were cleared of smuggling and possession charges.
Prosecutors said Y Z smuggled 10kg of heroin and diazepam, 50ml of methadone, 50ml of opium and 19,910 tramadol tablets, which he intended to sell to two men.
M A, 26, a Comoros Islands passport holder, was also charged with possessing the drugs as well as consuming tramadol acquitted by the Dubai Criminal Court. His acquittal was upheld today by the Court of Appeal.
M A had refused to appoint a defence lawyer, which is mandatory by law in his case.
“I’m innocent, so I don’t need a lawyer. I didn’t possess anything and I took tramadol as a treatment because I underwent a surgery in my leg. I don’t even have a history of drug consumption, nor am I am addict,” he told the judges.
In evidence, M Y, 36, an Emirati customs inspector, said on November 12 of 2012 he searched Y Z’s boat and found the drugs.
“It was hidden in the kitchen utensils boxes and he confessed to me that he brought them from Iran to deliver them to an Emirati man” he said.
A R, 40, a police captain, said Y Z confessed he delivered more drugs to the same Emirati man two months before he was arrested.
Police called his buyer and set up a meeting to purportedly deliver the drugs.
“The other two men were arrested in a sting operation when they met with Y Z and took the drugs,” said A R.
The reasons behind the acquittal of M A and the conviction of the other two defendants were not made available by court.
A A, who is stateless, and Y Z will be deported after completing their jail terms.
salamir@thenational.ae