Two men involved in heroin smuggling to Saudi Arabia are jailed

One of the Pakistani pair confessed to committing the crime three times and said he was promised Dh12,000 for each kilogram of the drug that made it to Saudi safely.

DUBAI // A businessman and a driver who both denied possessing more than five kilograms of heroin with the intent to sell were each sentenced to 10 years in jail on Monday.

Police had been tipped off in June last year that the pair, Pakistani driver E B, 55, and countryman M K, 45, were waiting for the drugs to be delivered to them from outside the country.

“They received and stored it then waited for orders from the head, who is unidentified to us,” said Maj O A, 37.

Police had the men under surveillance and, on the night of July 8, the pair were arrested in a sting operation in Al Qusais when they met while in possession of the drugs.

“E B ran away but about 15 minutes later he was arrested,” said the major. He also said that as officers swooped M K threw away the bag with the drugs and E B escaped and hid in a lorry.

Records said 5.4kg of heroin was found with them.

A police captain told prosecutors that he documented the testimony of E B, who said that he received a call from a man in Pakistan directing him to meet M K to receive drugs before delivering them to another countryman who would smuggle them into Saudi Arabia.

He confessed that this was his third time committing the crime and that he was promised Dh12,000 for each kilo that reached Saudi Arabia.

Prosecutors said both defendants confessed to charges of possessing drugs to sell.

At Dubai Criminal Court, the pair were jailed, fined Dh50,000 each and will be deported after completing their sentences.