Man jailed for 2 years, fined Dhs100,000 for possessing and abusing drugs in Dubai

Dubai Misdemeanour Court sentenced a Gulf citizen to two years in jail and fined him Dhs100,000 after he had been convicted of driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs and psychotropic substances and possessing 70 grams of marijuana.

The court also banned the defendant from transferring or depositing any funds for others, either directly or through others, without permission from the Central Bank of the UAE in co-ordination with the Ministry of Interior. The ban would continue for two years after the sentence was served.

In addition, the court ordered the seized items to be confiscated and the defendant’s driving licence to be suspended for one year from the date the sentence was executed.

According to the official documents, a police patrol caught the defendant in the Motor City area while he was driving his vehicle in an abnormal condition.

A policeman stated that he stopped the defendant after suspecting him of driving in an uncontrolled manner. The defendant admitted to using prescription narcotic pills, initially denying possession of any narcotics.

The policeman added that he had searched the vehicle and the defendant as a precaution and found narcotic pills and a herbal substance suspected to be narcotics. He was arrested and a blood sample was taken from him, while the seized items were sent to the forensic laboratory.

The laboratory report stated that the seized items were herbal cannabis, which was listed in Schedule 1 of the Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law and its amendments.

During the Public Prosecution’s interrogations, the defendant admitted to abusing psychotropic substances and driving under their influence. He also admitted to possessing and abusing Lyrica under a medical prescription, noting that he was under its influence at the time he was arrested.