UAE legal Q&As: What can friend expect after arrest over medicine at airport?



A friend of mine called me recently to say that he had been arrested at Dubai airport for carrying prescription medicine without the prescription. I am a European who lives outside the UAE so I don’t have much knowledge about such cases in the UAE. Can you tell me more?

It is unfortunate what happened to your friend but there are a list of medicines that cannot be brought into the UAE without having a prescription for them. UAE Criminal Law No 14 of 1995 and its amendments define and lists which medicines are banned or require a prescription to be presented. If a person is found to be in possession of such medicines without the right prescription, the accused could face a prison sentence of a minimum of six months and one that could potentially exceed two years jail and a fine of Dh10,000 plus deportation, in accordance with Article No 39 and 40 of the same law.

My son was arrested by Dubai Police some time ago and is now being kept in central jail. I need to help him but I don’t know what to do. Do you have any suggestions?

From my point of view, the best way to help your son would be to appoint a lawyer, who would be able to visit him in the prison, listen to what he says and advise him on the likely outcomes of his particular situation. In most cases, his lawyer will have the right to apply for bail, by keeping some guarantee such as his passport or another person’s (guarantor) passport until the end of the criminal investigation. This is according to Article No 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 and 116 of the UAE Criminal Procedures Law. It should be noted that the granting of bail is up to prosecutors and the courts whether to accept the request or not. After the prosecution investigation is finished and the case is transferred to the criminal court, the lawyer will be able to get a copy of the case file, study the case and advise him on his best strategy to defend himself in court.

If you have a question for our lawyer, please email it to newsdesk@thenational.ae with the subject line “Know the law”.

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The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make

When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.

“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.

This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).

Age

$250 a month

$500 a month

$1,000 a month

25

$640,829

$1,281,657

$2,563,315

35

$303,219

$606,439

$1,212,877

45

$131,596

$263,191

$526,382

55

$44,351

$88,702

$177,403

 

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
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Founder: Areej Selmi
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Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?

It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?

Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.

The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.

Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver. 

The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.

But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.

Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.

It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.

So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.

Rory Reynolds