Woman caught with drugs bag says it belonged to her travel companion

ABU DHABI // A woman accused of bringing a backpack containing drugs into the UAE from the US has denied the bag belonged to her, the Criminal Court heard on Monday.

RL, an American, said she was travelling with a “travel mate” from Washington DC and before arriving in the Emirates her companion asked her to hold the backpack for him.

“You can see the cameras at the Etihad lounge in Washington to see that he was holding the backpack at first,” she told the court.

Upon arrival, she was arrested after police found a package containing drugs inside the backpack she was holding.

She said her travel mate was also detained intially but she does not know what happened to him after.

“There was a men’s sweater in the backpack that does not belong to me which proves it is not mine,” she added.

RL also asked the court to take fingerprints off the package found in the backpack, insisting her prints would not be found.

When asked if she knew what was inside the bag, she said she did not.

“Why didn’t you say these statements to police and prosecutors?” asked chief justice Idris Binmansour.

She said that no translator was present and she thought her friend was arrested in the case as well.

The case was adjourned until March 23 to appoint a defence lawyer for RL.