Drugs mule arrested with nearly 468 grams of methamphetamine

Panicked defendant was reported to police after jumping into a marina

A drugs mule who swallowed nearly half a kilogram of methamphetamine was arrested in Dubai after jumping into a marina.

Dubai Criminal Court heard how the Nigerian defendant, 29, panicked when he began feeling unwell soon after flying into the Emirates.

Members of the public reported him to police after witnessing him acting strangely in Festival marina in Dubai Creek.

Officers dispatched a rescue boat to the scene to pull him from the water, although he initially refused to get out.

“We received a call about a man behaving strangely and jumping into the water,” a port authority policeman told the court.

“We were told he was refusing to get out.”

The incident unfolded on November 4 last year shortly after the man arrived at Dubai International Airport from Nigeria.

After leaving the terminal, the defendant made his way into the centre of the city where he began suffering severe abdominal pain.

Concerned onlookers called police when the man leapt into the marina without warning. When officers arrested him he admitted swallowing 28 capsules - or 468 grams - of methamphetamine.

Appearing in court this week, the defendant denied a charge of smuggling drugs into the UAE. The hearing was adjourned until February 18.