DUBAI // A 28-year-old tourist has had his two-year sentence for drug dealing changed to a life term at Dubai Court of Appeal.
Filipino RA had been found guilty at Dubai Criminal Court of possessing 0.42 grams of methamphetamine to sell, which he denied in February. He was sentenced to two years plus a Dh20,000 fine to be followed by deportation but prosecutors launched an appeal.
Records stated that Dubai Police were tipped off that the Filipino uses and sells drugs.
“Investigations revealed that RA was trying to sell a portion of drugs for Dh4,000, so we assigned an undercover police source to contact the defendant and pose as a buyer,” testified Emirati lieutenant MA, 29.
He said that at about 1pm on July 7 last year, and after obtaining an arrest warrant from prosecutors, the defendant was arrested in a sting operation after meeting with the police source and handing him half the quantity for Dh2,000.
“He met with our undercover source in a bus station in Al Satwa and told him he only had half of the quantity they agreed on, so the source carried on with the sale, after which we arrested RA,” added the lieutenant.
At the appeals court the Filipino was found guilty and handed a life prison sentence, a Dh50,000 fine and a deportation order after serving his term.
A standard life sentence is 25 years in jail.
salamir@thenational.ae