DUBAI // An aviation engineering student has denied importing poppy seeds hidden inside sweets and electronic filters.
Kuwaiti S A is charged with importing three sweets containing 38 grammes of poppy seeds and three filters containing 26 grammes of the seeds. Details on what sort of filters was not available. The 23-year-old is also charged with consuming hashish.
At Dubai Criminal Court, S A, who was born and raised in the UK and does not speak Arabic, had to communicate with judges through a translator but he told them he denied all charges against him.
Prosecutors said that the drugs were found by Dubai Customs inspectors on October 23 last year. They also said that, upon his arrest, S A confessed to police and prosecutors that he imported the drugs from the United States.
A criminal lab report confirmed traces of hashish in S A’s urine sample.
His defence lawyer requested bail, which was denied.
The next hearing will be on February 11.
salamir@thenational.ae
