Indian was initially acquitted but prosecutors successfully appealed and he will now serve four years behind bars.

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DUBAI // A tourist who was found not guilty of smoking hashish in his hotel room will now serve four years in jail after prosecutors successfully appealed against his acquittal.

Indian S M, 32, was arrested on September 15 last year after a tip-off to Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department.

Police raided his hotel room but did not find any drugs on him, although a urine test found he had used hashish.

Last December, S M told the Dubai Criminal Court that he had taken it because “people in my country consume the drug”.

He admitted a charge of using hashish.

“It’s OK in India, everyone takes hashish,” S M said when judges asked him whether he was guilty of taking the drug.

Emirati police officer H A, 21, testified that S M was arrested at about 1am on September 15 last year at a hotel in Al Muraqqabat.

The reason for S M’s initial acquittal was not given.

Following the prosecutors’ appeal against the verdict, the court of appeal overturned the acquittal and jailed S M for four years.

He will be deported after serving his jail term.

salamir@thenational.ae