UAE pharmacist jailed for selling under-the-counter psychotropic pills

Pharmacist who sold under-the-counter psychotropic pills is sentenced to five years in prison.

ABU DHABI // A pharmacist who sold under-the-counter psychotropic pills has been sentenced to five years in prison.

NR, Egyptian, was arrested after selling the drugs to an undercover anti-narcotics police officer posing as a customer.

The officer went to the pharmacy and asked her for two packs of Tramadol and another type of pill, but could not provide a prescription. She agreed to sell him "large quantities" of the drug so that he did not need to keep visiting her at the pharmacy and told him to come back 10 days later.

When he returned to the pharmacy, officers arrested the woman and found two Tramadol tablets in her possession as well as a bottle containing 22 orange pills. A search of her house uncovered more psychotropic drugs.

On trial at the Criminal Court the woman claimed the undercover officer had been a customer for five years. She said this made her trust him when he said he had forgotten his prescription, so she decided to sell him the drug.

The pharmacist will be deported after serving her jail term.