DUBAI // Two Pakistani drug smugglers had their respective sentences of 10 years and two years increased to 25 years by the appeal court yesterday.
M A, 32, and his 50-year-old compatriot, S F, had smuggled more than 41 kilograms of tramadol and a herbal tobacco-chewing drug known as niswar.
Dubai Criminal Court convicted them in March last year of smuggling drugs for the purpose of dealing. M A received a 10-year sentence and a Dh200,000 fine, while S F was given a two-year term and a Dh50,000 fine.
However, at Dubai Court of Appeal, both men had their sentences overturned and were each handed life terms of 25 years and a fine of Dh200,000.
Both men and prosecutors had appealed the initial verdict.
M A was arrested by Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department after a container in which the drugs were hidden was found to be registered in his name by Jebel Ali Port.
He was detained when he arrived to collect the container, which had come from Pakistan.
He told police that he owned an import-and-export company that has a branch in Dubai and another in Pakistan.
“I was informed by the branch in Pakistan that a container of medicine will arrive but I didn’t know the medications were drugging tablets,” he said.
He said S F was supposed to take the contents of the container upon its arrival.
Police had him contact S F and arrange a meeting in Naif, where S F was also arrested.
Prosecutors said they found 69,880 tablets of banned medication and 41.194kg of tramadol in the container.
Both men will be deported after completing their jail terms.
salamir@thenational.ae
