A tourist charged with smuggled drugs into the country by hiding them in his mobile phone charger told Dubai Criminal Court the pills are to treat his back pain.
On January 17, the 38-year-old Egyptian man landed in Dubai International Airport on a visit visa when customs officers noticed something strange in his luggage while it was being passed through the X-ray.
The officers, suspecting the man’s bag contained banned substances, hand-searched his luggage.
"We found 820 Lyrica and Tramadol tablets, some of which were hidden inside his mobile phone charger and the rest hidden in different parts of his bags," said an Emirati customs inspector.
The man was taken to Dubai Police's anti-narcotics department where a medical test revealed he was under the influence of controlled drugs.
During police questioning, the defendant denied smuggling drugs to the country, saying the he uses the pills as personal medication. He also said he took the controlled medicine while he was outside of the country.
Prosecutors did not charge him with consuming drugs but he was charged with smuggling and possessing drugs.
The man denied the charges in court saying the medication is for personal use to treat his back pain.
The next hearing is scheduled for March 14.
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