Six drug convicts lose appeals

DUBAI // Six Arab men given life sentences for possessing nearly 200,000 tablets of illegal drugs must see out their jail terms, the Dubai Court of Appeal has ruled.

In August last year, A A, 38, from Lebanon and Syrians B S, 27, S M, 33, K A, 30, M T, 47, and A H, 26, denied charges of possessing drugs with the intent to deal when they appeared at the criminal court.

B S told judges that he was asked to deliver a bag but he had no idea of its contents, while A H said he knew nothing about the drugs.

The other men claimed they only possessed the drugs for personal use.

Records show that on July 26 last year, Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department seized 193 kilogrammes of amphetamine pills.

Police captain A R testified he received a tip-off that A A and M T possessed Captagon pills.

“We were told that they were offering a large amount of the pills for Dh1.3 million,” he said.

An officer was assigned to play the role of a Saudi national who was interested in buying the amphetamines.

On July 26 last year, officers arrested the men in a car park in the British cluster of International City.

Some of the men were acting as lookouts while the drug deal took place, AR said.

K A was also charged with using drugs, to which he confessed.

The men will be deported after serving their jail terms.