DUBAI // A man was caught with nearly a kilogram of cocaine in his stomach after he fell sick at Dubai airport and required surgical intervention to save his life.
The 43-year-old visitor from Togo arrived at Dubai International Airport on March 4 this year showing signs of pain, Dubai Criminal Court heard.
He was referred to a hospital, where he underwent surgery. Doctors removed 61 capsules containing 895 grams of cocaine from his stomach.
“At nearly 6pm that day he went into surgery and the capsules were taken out. I was there and witnessed the surgery,” said a 26-year-old policeman.
During questioning, the defendant said he did not know the nature of the capsules he was carrying. He said an Emirati man promised him US$5,600 (Dh20,568) to smuggle drugs into the UAE.
At court on Wednesday, the defendant confessed to a charge of smuggling drugs. A verdict is expected on October 11.
salamir@thenational.ae
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
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Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
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