Businessman accused of drug smuggling says he is a UN-registered philanthropist

Australian claims taxi driver in the Ivory Coast damaged his bag, so offered him a replacement, one that contained 3,000 methamphetamine pills.

DUBAI // An Australian businessman accused of carrying more than 3,000 methamphetamine pills said that an African taxi driver damaged his bag and then offered him a replacement that, unbeknown to him, contained drugs.

The 67-year-old defendant told Dubai Criminal Court that he is a businessman and was traveling from Ivory Coast to Japan via Dubai. He said the Ivory Coast taxi driver hit his bag and damaged it, so provided him with another bag, in which Dubai Customs officials found the drugs.

“I had no idea there were such tablets in my bag,” said the defendant in court on Tuesday after denying a charge of smuggling drugs.

The man said he is a well-known businessman in his country, with businesses in several countries, and that he has never broken a law anywhere. He said he was a UN-registered philanthropist and would not dare smuggle drugs because it would jeopardise his reputation.

He arrived at Dubai International Airport on September 16 last year and a customs inspector thought something was not right with his bag.

“His bag looked much thicker than usual so I searched it and found the drugs hidden in the bottom of his bag,” said the 37-year-old inspector, who referred the man to police.

The defendant’s lawyer said that her client’s drug tests came back negative and requested that the court find him not guilty.

A verdict is expected on February 19.