Dubai Court Overturns Filipina’s 10-Year Drug Smuggling Conviction

The Dubai Court of Appeal has overturned a 10-year prison sentence handed down to a 35-year-old Filipina who had been convicted earlier this year of smuggling cannabis extract into the UAE.

 

In its open-court judgment, the appellate bench ruled: “The court, in the presence of the appellant, accepts the appeal in form and substance, annuls the contested judgment, and rules anew to acquit the appellant of all charges brought against her, while ordering the confiscation of the seized narcotic substance.”

 

How the Case Began

The case traces back to December 15, 2024, when customs officers at Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3 identified suspicious items in the woman’s luggage during routine screening. An inspector discovered 20 vape cartridges concealed within pancake mix packets. Subsequent forensic analysis confirmed that the cartridges contained 20 grammes of cannabis extract - a banned substance under Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2021 on Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances.

 

Following her arrest, prosecutors charged her with smuggling and possession of narcotics. In March 2025, the Dubai Criminal Court convicted her, sentencing her to 10 years in prison, imposing a Dh100,000 fine, and ordering her deportation after serving the sentence. The lower court dismissed her claims of ignorance, ruling that possession and importation had been sufficiently proven by the evidence presented.

 

Defence Arguments on Appeal

Her legal team challenged the conviction before the Court of Appeal, stressing that she had no prior criminal record and no history of involvement in narcotics-related activity. They argued that she lacked intent to smuggle, and that the concealment of the cartridges could have occurred without her knowledge.

 

Citing Article 96 of the federal narcotics law, which permits mitigation or alternative sentencing in cases involving special circumstances, her lawyers pressed for acquittal, noting her status as a first-time offender with strong family and social ties in the UAE. They also emphasised that the small quantity found was not consistent with trafficking for commercial purposes.

 

Court of Appeal’s Reassessment

After examining the case file, reassessing the forensic evidence, and hearing oral submissions, the appellate judges reached the conclusion that there was insufficient proof to establish that the defendant knowingly imported or possessed the banned substance.

 

In September 2025, the court set aside the lower court’s judgment, quashed the conviction, and cleared her record. The only part of the original ruling that remained in force was the confiscation of the seized cartridges.

 

Legal Significance

The decision underscores the role of appellate courts in safeguarding defendants’ rights when intent cannot be established beyond reasonable doubt, especially in narcotics cases where UAE law imposes some of the harshest penalties in the region.

 

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