DUBAI // Three men were sentences to life for possessing almost four million illegal amphetamine tablets.
On July 12 of last year, a 43-year-old from Saudi Arabia and two Syrians were arrested by Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department in a sting operation after the authorities were tipped off that the men possessed a large quantity of drugs.
“We received information that the Saudi man was part of a drug trafficking gang and that he was trying to smuggle millions of tablets to Saudi Arabia. We managed to get an undercover policeman to get close to the defendants,” said a police lieutenant.
The undercover officer was asked by the three men to provide them with a car and a driver, who would be able transport the drugs out of the UAE.
The defendants were arrested in International City.
The trio were charged with the possession of 3.8 million Amphetamine tablets with the intent to distribute.
“I have nothing to do with this, your honour, and I have been in jail for nearly nine months now,” said the Saudi man after he entered a plea of Not Guilty. The Syrians denied the charge as well, however, one of them confessed to a drug consumption charge.
A lieutenant testified that officers found some drugs in the car and the defendants confessed that there were more drugs stored in Al Ain.
“The Saudi confessed to me that he was going to [make] a profit of 30 million Saudi Riyals.”
At Dubai Criminal Court on Thursday, the trio were sentenced to life in jail. They were also fined Dh100,000 each.
They will be deported after completing their sentences.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
