DUBAI // Three Saudi men were caught with more than seven million amphetamine pills after a tip-off, a court was told on Tuesday.
Prosecutors charged the trio with possession of 1,183kg of amphetamines, including crystal meth and Captagon, with the intent to distribute after a tip-off about their activities sparked an investigation in July. One of them, a 33-year-old, was also charged with consuming marijuana.
An Emirati police officer said the tip related to the 22-year-old defendant — a tourist in the country — and who was said to be in possession of drugs to be delivered to another man who would smuggle them to Saudi Arabia.
“We knew he was part of a gang that receives and smuggled drugs to Saudi. We monitored him near Dragonmart and he met with the other defendants, who gave him four bags, before they went on their way,” said the 45-year-old officer.
Officers arrested the 22-year-old in Al Rigga, Deira and found 135.8kg of methamphetamine in his car.
Police arrested the two others, brothers aged 30 and 33, in a villa in Al Warqa.
A Yemeni policeman said officers found a large amount of drugs in one of the villa’s rooms.
“We raided the villa and found the suspects asleep. We then executed the search warrant and found a large quantity of pills in a locked room,” said the 36-year-old.
A total of 1047.2kg worth of amphetamines were found. It was unclear where the remainder of the drugs total in the charge came from.
At Dubai Criminal Court on Tuesday, the three defendants denied possession of drugs with the intent to use. The 33-year-old defendant said he consumed marijuana in Saudi but not here.
The next hearing is on January 3.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
