Smuggler who caused gas explosion while trying to retrieve drugs has sentence upheld

The Iranian smuggled 50kg of methamphetamine in gas cylinders and then caused an explosion in his flat when he tried to cut the drugs out, a Dubai court heard.

DUBAI // A drug smuggler who caused a massive explosion when he tried to cut open gas cylinders to get to a large quantity of drugs that he brought into the country has lost his appeal against a 10-year sentence.

Iranian S H, 50, smuggled 50kg of methamphetamine inside the cylinders on a ship and then tried to use an electric device to cut the drugs out. However, he ended up causing an explosion that damaged his rented flat.

The man was convicted at Dubai Criminal Court in June of smuggling drugs as well as mistakenly damaging the property of the Emirati woman who owns the flat.

Records said that S H had rented the flat in Naif, Deira, in June last year but he did not live in the flat, only occasionally visiting it.

Emirati policeman K K, 26, said Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department was tipped-off about the defendant.

“After his arrest he told me that another man had rented the flat and, on the day of the explosion, the man identified as S came to the flat and saw him cutting through the cylinders,” said the policeman.

“He also told me that S asked him about his reasons for cutting the cylinders but he did not tell him what was inside of them, and only said he received the cylinders at the Sharjah port.

“S left him alone then returned to take his phone, which he forgot inside the flat, and, at that moment, the explosion happened due to the sparks from the cutting device.”

The defendant denied all charges in court. However, he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail, as well as being fined Dh50,000, with a deportation order, too.

The verdict was upheld by Dubai Court of Appeal.