Man jailed for 10 years and fined Dhs100,000 for possessing narcotics in Dubai

Dubai Court of Appeals upheld the first-instance court’s ruling sentencing an African national to 10 years in jail, fining him Dhs100,000, confiscating the seized items, and deporting him from the country after serving his sentence.

The defendant reportedly purchased various narcotics from an anonymous dealer and paid for them using cryptocurrency.

He was caught in possession of approximately 80 grammes of marijuana and other illicit substances. Details reveal that in December 2024, Dubai Police received credible information indicating that the defendant was using narcotics and possessed a quantity of them in the Al Khawaneej area.

A team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was formed, and after obtaining permission from the Dubai Public Prosecution, the defendant was monitored and arrested.

A police man stated during interrogations that the defendant appeared to be in an abnormal state at the time of his arrest, prompting a search.

Several rolls containing suspected narcotics were found in his possession, and the seized items along with a urine sample were sent to the Dubai Police Forensic Laboratory for analysis. The laboratory report confirmed that the seized substances included dried herbal material containing marijuana, weighing approximately 80 grammes, classified as a prohibited substance under Schedule No. (1) of Federal Decree-Law No. (3) of 2021 concerning Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Additionally, analysis of the defendant’s urine sample detected the presence of "tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THC)," the active compound in hashish, listed as a prohibited psychotropic substance under Schedule No. (5) of the same law.

This provided evidence of the defendant’s use of hashish or marijuana.

During interrogations, the defendant admitted to possessing and using the seized substances, stating that he purchased them from an anonymous dealer for personal use and paid using cryptocurrency.

The court convicted him and issued the aforementioned ruling, which was upheld by the Court of Appeals.