Dubai policeman ‘caught with opium poppy seeds he wanted to frame partner with’

Emirati officer and two Pakistanis are charged with possessing the illegal seeds that he allegedly planned to frame his business partner with.

DUBAI // A policeman was arrested for possessing opium poppy seeds he planned to use to frame his business partner, Dubai Criminal Court heard.

Emirati M M, 28, who worked at Dubai General Department of Punitive & Correctional Establishments, Pakistanis M H, 31, and A A, 50, are all charged with possessing 9.29 grammes of opium poppy seeds, which are illegal.

A A alone was charged with possessing 140.64g of the seeds. He confessed but the other two denied charges against them.

Prosecutors said Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department received a tip-off about M M and kept him under surveillance until an arrest warrant was obtained.

On February 28 at 9.20pm an arrest team waited for M M to finish work and get into his car.

“The car drove towards the car park where M M met with a police source who posed as a buyer. M M was then arrested as he got out of his seat holding a napkin in which the seeds were found,” said policeman K S.

The officer said M M and his driver, who is co-accused M H, were both arrested. During interrogations, M M said he got the seeds from A A, who was then arrested in cooperation with Sharjah Police.

K S added that, when questioned, A A said he was asked by M M to provide him with some opium poppy seeds because he wanted to frame someone.

A K, a corporal at the anti-narcotics department, testified that M M confessed to him that he wanted to frame his business partner to take charge of the entire company.

The next hearing will be on October 15.