DUBAI // Two men who smuggled more than 41 kilograms of tramadol and a herbal drug known as naswar were jailed by the Criminal Court on Tuesday morning.
Pakistani MA, 32, was arrested and charged with smuggling drugs after a shipping container in which the drugs were hidden was found to be registered under his name.
Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department was informed by Jebel Ali port officials that the container belonging to MA had banned substances within it.
He was arrested when he came to collect the container, which had arrived from Pakistan. He told police that he owned an import and export company that has two branches, in Dubai and in Pakistan.
“I was informed by the branch in Pakistan that a container of medicine will arrive but I didn’t know the medications were drugging tablets,” he said.
The Pakistani added that his compatriot SF, 50, was supposed to handle the contents of the container when it arrived.
Police had him contact SF and arrange a meeting. When SF came to the meeting in Naif, Dubai, he was arrested.
Both men were charged with smuggling drugs with the intent to sell. They did not enter a plea at the court last March.
Prosecutors said they found 69,880 tablets of banned medication in the container, as well as 41.194kg of tramadol.
MA was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined Dh200,000. SF was sentenced to two years and fined Dh50,000. Both defendants will be deported after completing their jail terms.
salamir@thenational.ae
While you're here...
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German intelligence warnings
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- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
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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.
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UAE squad
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Guide to intelligent investing
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
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- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
COMPANY PROFILE
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
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Four stars
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India Test squad
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
While you're here
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If you go
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates.
The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)