A Nigerian man was sentenced to 10 years in jail on Sunday after he was found guilty of smuggling a kilogram of cocaine into Dubai.
The air passenger, 47, had swallowed the drug, which was found in his stomach, a court in the emirate heard.
He landed at Dubai International Airport on May 24 after flying from Nigeria via Istanbul.
Customs officers became suspicious and asked him to show his passport.
They also searched his luggage but found nothing illegal.
“He was visiting Dubai for the first time and was coming via Turkey. I asked him if he wanted to declare anything but he denied (having anything to declare),” a customs officer said.
“We felt something was not right and had him undergo a body scan.”
Results showed capsules inside his body.
"When he was confronted, he admitted the capsules contained cocaine,” the officer said.
Anti-narcotic officers found the man had swallowed 49 capsules filled with nearly 1kg of cocaine.
He told investigators he tried to borrow money from an acquaintance in Nigeria but was asked to carry the drugs in return for the cash.
In July, the man denied a drug-smuggling charge at Dubai Criminal Court but was found guilty.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by deportation. He was also fined Dh50,000.
Dubai Police thwart international drug smuggling attempts - in pictures
Moon Music
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Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
THE SPECS
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Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
