DUBAI // A driver hid 43 grammes of heroin in peanuts in an attempt to smuggle them into the country, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Monday.
Customs inspectors at Dubai International Airport’s free zone had suspicions about a package arriving from India on August 14 last year. “When we checked it, it contained clothes and peanuts. Some of the peanuts did not look normal so when I split them open, I found small wraps that contained a powder. I therefore referred it to the criminal lab,” Emirati inspector A A said.
The laboratory report confirmed that 31 peanuts contained 107 grammes of a brownish powder that tests proved to be heroin. Police then apprehended Indian S S, 32, whose name was on the package. He was charged with importing heroin, which he denied in court.
“I did not know the package contained heroin and I didn’t even know it was shipped to me,” he told judges.
Traces of morphine and Tramadol were found in blood samples taken from Indian D S, 33, who was accompanying S S at the time of arrest. The friend was charged with consuming drugs, which he confessed to.
Prosecutors said that D S had revealed he took drugs four days before his arrest.
A verdict is expected on January 25.
salamir@thenational.ae
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
