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Dubai's Less Than Zero Tolerance Warning

Jonty Skrufff

Central Station, Australia

Monday 26 Nov 2007

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Three more young Brits are facing over 4 years in jail in the United
Arab Emirates after being caught with a small amount of cannabis in
their flat in Dubai, following a tip off to cops by an informer.

The three unnamed 21 year old college students’ arrest came days before
a 27 year old Frenchman was sentenced to four years for being caught
with leftover crumbs (0.9 grams) in a bag, at the airport, and followed
a direct warning to Europeans that they face jail if caught with any amount.

“When it comes to narcotics, the quantity of drugs being smuggled is
immaterial and enforcement officers are not flexible,” Dubai Appeals
Court judge Mahmoud Fahmi told expat newspaper Gulf News last week,
“Officers are working to eliminate drug smugglers even if the suspect is
carrying what we call traces of narcotics."

His comments were backed by Drug War Chronicle who warned last month
that travellers passing through Dubai ‘should take a thorough inventory
before heading for the airport.’

“On May 31, the Dubai Court of First Instance found a 24-year-old
Italian man identified only by the initials "A.D." guilty of smuggling
and possessing 1/100th of a gram of hash after he arrived at the
airport,” the US media organization reported, “The quantity discovered
-- 1/2800th of an ounce -- is too small to be usable and so tiny that
the fact it was detected at all is remarkable,” they added.

Despite such cases, US R&B uber-producer Dallas Austin proved the
exception to the rule in July, when he pleaded guilty to importing over
a gram of cocaine and ecstasy for a birthday party for Naomi Campbell.

The Madonna/ TLC producer received a four year sentence though was
immediately pardoned by Dubai’s ruler, with a little help from
high-powered friends, said MTV.

The TV channel quoted the New York Times as saying ‘such pardons are not
unusual’ for drug users with the right connections, which in Austin’s
case included a US Senator, and various hugely famous pop stars.

“According to The New York Times, Austin's pardoning last week after his
conviction on drug possession charges came courtesy of some high-level
string-pulling,” MTV claimed, “Behind the feat: Utah Republican Senator
Orrin Hatch, singer Lionel Richie, producer Quincy Jones and a fleet of
well-connected businessmen and lawyers who vouched for Austin's character.”

http://www.centralstation.com.au/articles/shownews.asp?newsid=6708

 

 

 

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