Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced an African woman on a visit visa to 10 years in jail to be followed by deportation and fined her Dhs50,000 on charges of importing 6 kilogrammes of khat inside a box containing banana and foodstuffs.

The case dated back to last April when a Dubai Airport’s customs inspector suspected a box that belonged to the defendant.

According to his statement, the customs inspector found that the defendant’s suitcase had an abnormal shape when her baggage was passed through the baggage scanner.

The inspector added that he stopped the defendant and searched the box to find that it contained bananas and various foodstuffs with green khat leaves weighing 6 kilogrammes inside.