Sailor ‘smuggled 10kg of heroin into Dubai’

85-year-old man charged with smuggling more than 10 kilograms of heroin.

DUBAI // An 85-year-old sailor smuggled drugs into Dubai on his boat, a court heard yesterday.

Iranian Y Z brought in more than 10 kilograms of heroin and diazepam, 50 millilitres of methadone, 50ml of opium and nearly 20,000 tramadol tablets, prosecutors said.

Emirati inspector M Y, 36, found the stash on November 12 last year.

“It was hidden in the kitchen utensils box and he confessed to me that he brought them from Iran to deliver them to an Emirati man,” the inspector said.

Police set up a sting operation, with the sailor calling his buyer and arranging a delivery.

Stateless A A, 28, and M A, 26, who has a Comoros Islands passport, met the sailor and were arrested.

The sailor denied a charge of smuggling drugs with intent to sell at the Criminal Court.

The other two men denied charges of possessing drugs.

The Comoros Islander refused to appoint a defence lawyer, mandatory by law, insisting that he was innocent so should not need one.

“I am innocent, I didn’t possess anything and I was taking tramadol as a treatment because I was recovering from surgery on my leg,” he said. “I don’t have a record of drug consumption, nor am I an addict.”

The next hearing was scheduled for October 29.