A man has been sentenced to life in prison by Dubai’s Criminal Court after being found guilty of trafficking and possessing illegal psychotropic substances. In the UAE, a life sentence usually means 25 years in prison. The man was also fined Dh200,000 and will be deported after serving his sentence. The 47-year-old Malaysian national was arrested by Dubai Customs after they discovered two shipments containing significant amounts of ketamine.
The case began on December 15, 2023, when airport authorities grew suspicious of a shipment from Belgium. Upon inspection, they found 2,892 grams of white powder hidden inside a water filter. A second shipment arrived from South Africa on February 28, 2024, labeled as containing 'Coffee, Chocolate, and Sweets'. Inspections revealed approximately 3,638 grams of white powder concealed under brown powder in four plastic containers. Forensic analysis confirmed the substance to be ketamine.
On March 19, 2024, the defendant went to Aramex's Al Zahra branch in Dubai to collect the second shipment. He was apprehended by Customs officers who were waiting for him. During questioning, the man presented a Singaporean passport, which officers suspected was fake. After further interrogation, he admitted that the passport was counterfeit and produced a copy of a Malaysian passport. Despite denying involvement in drug smuggling during court hearings, customs officers provided witness testimonies and forensic evidence. The judges subsequently sentenced the man to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Dh200,000. The case is now under review by the Court of Appeal.
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