Hashish-smuggling sailors jailed for life by Dubai court

DUBAI // Three Iranian men who smuggled 222.8 kilograms of hashish into the country were each jailed for life yesterday.

Dubai Criminal Court convicted A Z, 31, E P, 31, and M F, 50 of smuggling seven large plastic bags full of hashish, as well as 19,930 Tramadol tablets, aboard a boat on December 22 last year.

A fourth Iranian man, A A, 35, was convicted with possession of 10,350 Tramadol tablets, which he told the court were for his personal use.

He also confessed to an additional charge of consuming Tramadol and was sentenced to three years in jail.

All four men were also fined Dh50,000 each and will be deported after completing their jail terms.

Emirati policeman J K, 51 testified he was part of a sting operation assigned to catch the men.

“A police source was in contact with the first defendant to buy some of the drugs,” J K said.

During a meeting at Dubai Creek port he saw A Z unloading a large bag from the boat on to the pavement.

J K said that the police informant failed to agree on a price to buy the drugs from A Z, so the bust was rescheduled for the next day.

The following morning the source again failed to reach an agreement, but police noticed the three Iranians, aided by a number of sailors, unloading more bags, so they raided the boat and arrested them.

The other sailors were found to be unaware of the contents of the bags and were released a few days later.

However, the four Iranians remained in custody.

“A Z confessed the bags were hidden in the diesel tank on the boat,” said J K, adding that they told him the owner of the boat, who remains in Iran, stashed the bags there.

Police then tapped a phone call from the owner of the boat, who was unaware that the drugs had been seized, to A Z.

The owner approved a drug sale to a man driving a Toyota Corolla and ordered A Z to deliver the drugs.

J K played the role of A Z and met with the buyer, the fourth man, A A.

The verdict remains subject to appeal within 15 days.

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