Life in jail for two men caught with 400kg of amphetamine tablets in Dubai

One of the men, a 33-year-old Syrian lorry driver, told Dubai Criminal Court his role was to drive the drugs to Saudi Arabia. The other man, a 40-year-old Syrian, denied having anything to do with the drugs.

DUBAI// Two men have been sentenced to life behind bars for possessing more than 400 kilograms of amphetamines to sell.

A Syrian lorry driver, 33, told Dubai Criminal Court his role was to drive the drugs to Saudi Arabia. The other Syrian man, 40, denied having anything to do with the drugs.

“He is not involved and didn’t know about the drugs being stashed in the truck,” the driver said.

Police were tipped off about the drugs in September last year. “We had the driver and his accomplice arrested on September 23 and found the pills hidden in a truck that belongs to the driver,” said a police lieutenant.

He said both men were sitting in a truck parked in Ras Al Khor when police arrived and they refused to get out.

“We had to smash the windows to apprehend them,” the lieutenant said.

Police found 412kg of amphetamine tablets. The pair were sentenced to life in jail and each fined Dh100,000.

They will be deported after serving their terms.