Two Men Sentenced to Life for Smuggling Pills Disguised as Medicine

The Fujairah Federal Court of First Instance has sentenced two Asian men to life imprisonment after convicting them of smuggling and possessing 925 narcotic tablets via Fujairah International Airport, dismissing their claims that the pills were harmless medicine.

 

According to Emarat Al Youm, the 30- and 36-year-old defendants were found guilty by the Federal Primary Court for Major Crimes after a forensic lab confirmed the seized tablets contained morphine and papaverine, both classified under Schedule I of the UAE’s narcotics legislation.
The court also ordered the seizure of the drugs, deportation of the men upon completing their sentences, and payment of legal costs, including a Dh2,000 fee for a court-appointed lawyer.

 

Court records revealed that the first defendant was stopped during a routine check at Fujairah airport in June, when authorities discovered the pills concealed under his luggage.

 

He initially told investigators the drugs had been bought from a street market in India and brought into the UAE at the request of his co-defendant, who had covered his travel costs and promised 2,000 rupees. He claimed he believed the tablets were for treating stomach gas.

The second defendant, arrested a month later at Dubai airport while attempting to leave the country, provided a different account.

 

He said the tablets were a sexual stimulant and admitted asking the first man to deliver them to another person in exchange for 5,000 rupees.

 

He also confirmed instructing his accomplice to claim the pills were for digestive issues if intercepted by police.

 

Investigators highlighted sharp inconsistencies in their statements, from how the drugs were obtained to their alleged purpose.

One claimed he purchased them at a market, while the other said they were handed over by a third party in their home country.

 

Authorities also noted the deliberate concealment of the tablets and that the second defendant tried to flee the UAE after learning of his partner’s arrest.

 

During their video-linked court session, both men denied knowingly smuggling narcotics.

 

Their lawyers argued they were unaware of the pills’ contents and requested acquittal. But the judges rejected the defense, ruling that evidence indicated both men knew the tablets were illegal and intended for commercial distribution rather than personal use.

In its verdict, the court cited Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2021, which bans importing, possessing, or trafficking narcotics and prescribes life imprisonment in serious cases.

 

The ruling stressed that intent and knowledge could be inferred from factors such as concealment, inconsistencies in testimony, and promises of payment.

 

“The intent to traffic is evident from the large number of tablets, financial arrangements between the defendants, and their conflicting statements regarding the pills’ purpose,” the judgment stated.