DUBAI // Three men from Syria have been jailed for three years each after being found guilty of importing and possessing more than six million illegal amphetamine-like pills.
A total of 6.5 million Captagon pills worth almost Dh65 million were found by officers who searched a lorry in Ras Al Khor after acting on a tip off.
On November 23 last year, 29-year-old A Y imported the drugs in 165 large pipes, prosecutors said. E A, 35, and A S, 31, were both charged with possessing the drugs but all three men claimed they did not know the pipes had anything illegal hidden inside.
Anti-Narcotics officer M S said he was assigned to oversee a sting operation involving the men and a police source.
“E A was in contact with a police source and met with him in the fruit and vegetable market in Al Aweer then went with him to Ras Al Khor,” the policeman said.
He said E A showed the police source the truck where the pills were hidden then left.
“Searching the truck, it contained pipes that were custom-made for smuggling the drugs. There was an outer pipe and an inner pipe welded together, and in between the two there was a vacuum where the pills were stashed,” said the officer, adding that E A was then arrested.
“E A told us that A S introduced him to the drugs’ owner in Syria who told E A that only A S knew how to get the drugs out of the pipes,” the officer said.
The drugs came into Dubai through Jebel Ali Port, after which E A moved them to Fujairah. They were stored there for about a month before being brought back to Dubai to be delivered to the police source.
A S was arrested at his work place in Al Aweer. During questioning he denied knowing E A. Records did not mention when and how A Y was arrested.
At Dubai Criminal Court on Sunday, All three men were sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by deportation. They were also fined Dh50,000 each.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
