Dubai student did not know cigarette was laced with heroin, court hears

The defendant told the Dubai Criminal Court that the friend who gave him the laced cigarette felt so guilty that he killed himself in prison.

DUBAI // A student inadvertently took drugs after his friend gave him a cigarette laced with heroin, the Criminal Court heard on Monday.

The lawyer for Emirati F A, 27, told the court that the friend later killed himself in jail because he was so distraught about the legal problems he had caused.

F A was charged with possessing and consuming heroin along with his friend, A Y. The two were arrested at a border crossing on March 10 this year coming from Oman.

Customs inspector, A A, 29, testified that he suspected the men had drugs after he smelled hashish in the car. “It was 9pm and I stopped the Lexus for inspection then I smelled the hashish. So I took A Y to the inspections room and found a needle and heroin hidden in his underwear,” said A A.

When the inspectors questioned F A, he said that the drugs belonged to A Y and not him.

F A’s lawyer Raed Al Olagi said: “My client is innocent and he did not know that he was given a cigarette filled with drugs. He smoked it without knowing it contained drugs. It was A Y who packed it with drugs and didn’t tell him.

“That’s why when the two were arrested, A Y felt so guilty and asked my client to forgive him for the trouble he caused him. Then he just couldn’t live with the guilt and killed himself at jail.”

A verdict is expected on June 16.