A 47-year-old Malaysian man has been handed a life sentence by Dubai’s Criminal Court after being found guilty of trafficking and possessing illegal psychotropic substances. In the UAE, a life sentence typically spans 25 years. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of Dh200,000, with deportation set to follow upon completion of the sentence.
According to a Khaleej Times report, the man was arrested by Dubai Customs after two significant drug shipments containing ketamine were intercepted. The first seizure occurred on December 15, 2023, when authorities flagged a suspicious shipment from Belgium and discovered 2,892 grams of white powder concealed within a water filter. A second interception on February 28, 2024, involved a shipment from South Africa labelled as “Coffee, Chocolate, and Sweets,” which concealed approximately 3,638 grams of ketamine beneath brown powder in four containers.
On March 19, 2024, the defendant was apprehended at an Aramex branch in Dubai while attempting to collect the second package. He initially presented a Singaporean passport, which was later determined to be forged, before admitting to using a Malaysian passport.
Despite denying charges during court hearings, the evidence presented by customs officers, including witness testimonies and forensic reports, led to his conviction.
