Heroin hidden in nuts, prosecutors say

More than 14kg of the drug was seized during arrests, according to records.

DUBAI // Two Afghan men and a Nigerian man have denied possessing 14 bags of nuts filled with more than 14kg of heroin, with the intent to sell them.

M?G and M?M, both in their 20s, had 12 plastic bags containing nuts, which, when examined, were found to contain 11.8kg of heroin, according to Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance records released yesterday. The third suspect, S?J, a Nigerian, also in his 20s, had two bags containing 2.225kg of heroin inside nuts, records said.

Prosecutors said they were informed that two Afghanis in the Naif area were dealing heroin and looking for buyers. Anti-narcotics police put the two men under surveillance.

On the night of April 12, 2010, M?G was spotted by officers in the Bani Yas area meeting with S J behind a supermarket, records show.

Prosecutors said M?M stood at a distance, acting as a lookout.

S?J was arrested while M?G and M?M returned to their hotel room, where they were taken into custody. The police seized drugs from the hotel room, prosecutors said.

The next hearing was scheduled for March 6, to appoint a defence lawyer.