Woman who hid cocaine in private parts is jailed in Dubai for 10 years

South African had met a man on WhatsApp, who invited her to Brazil, from where she travelled with the drugs to Dubai, bound for Georgia.

DUBAI // A 39-year-old woman who smuggled cocaine in her private parts for US$8,000 has been jailed for 10 years at Dubai Criminal Court.

South African Z S was convicted of drugs trafficking of 1.06 kilograms of the drug, a charge she denied last month in court, claiming she did not know what the substance she was asked to carry was.

The transit passenger, who was heading to Georgia from Brazil, was arrested at Dubai International Airport on August 2.

“When I noticed she was tense and walking with heavy and odd steps, I searched her and found nothing but when I asked her to drop her underwear, she hesitated and showed signs of fear,” testified airport policewoman MA, 29.

The officer said that, after a thorough search, the woman was found to be wearing underwear with secret pockets with cocaine hidden inside.

“As the search continued, we found that she was carrying capsules containing drugs inside her private parts,” said the policewoman.

“She managed to take out three capsules and confessed to having three more.”

The woman then told the policewoman that she had met a man in Brazil who offered her $8,000 (Dh29,383) in return for carrying cocaine to Georgia through Dubai.

“She told me she met this man on WhatsApp and he invited her to Brazil and provided her with a [plane] ticket. After spending two weeks in Brazil, she was provided with the drugs,” said MA.

The policewoman said that the woman was referred to Rashid Hospital, where the remaining capsules were extracted.

Z S had begged the court for mercy in a previous hearing and said she was very sick because she has HIV.

“Please, I want to return to my country,” she told judges.

She was convicted and sentenced to 10 years, to be followed by deportation. She was also fined Dh50,000.