DUBAI: Three airline passengers accused of attempt to transit through the Dubai International Airport with 5.2kg of cocaine were convicted.
The male passengers – a Brazilian MJ, 45, and two Nigerians RO, 31, and AK, 41– were jailed for ten years and fined Dhs50,000 each plus deportation by the Dubai Criminal Court.
MJ was seized with a carton, packets and plastic bags containing several capsules stuffed with a total of 5.160kg. Both RO and AK were implicated in MJ’s attempt to transit with them capsules on Nov.2, 2014.
RO was seized with a capsule containing 20.31g while AK was seized with a capsule containing 20.25g. During court questioning on May 25, MJ failed to enter a plea because there was no translator.
RO denied the first charge but admitted to the second one. “I had only one capsule and it was for personal use,” he said. AK argued that he was on his way to Nigeria and that he had nothing to do with the first charge.
“I don’t know this one and I don’t know this one,” AK argued as he pointed at the two. “And they don’t know me.” However, he confessed to the second charge and said the 20.25g were for personal use.
Through a Portuguese translator on June 11, MJ denied the charge and contended that RO had handed him a bag and begged him to carry it through the inspection area. “He lied to me that it contained chocolates.”
Judge Ezzat Mansour asked him whether RO gave him a reward. “No,” he denied. “Why didn’t he carry it on his own?” the Judge inquired. “He had more than one bag. He requested me to help him,” MJ argued and asked to be acquitted.
RO said, “I don’t know this man. I don’t even speak his language. Moreover, he can speak English though he feigns to only speak Portuguese. I never gave him anything. I was capable of carrying my bag.”
An agitated AK raised his hands and said, “I was sleeping while on the the plane. I was going to Nigeria. I had 20 grammes of cocaine with me for personal use. I was arrested and lumped together with these men. I don’t know them.”
In airport security records, MJ told an Emirati police captain that he was on his way from Brazil when a Nigerian man requested him to carry a bag of capsules that he would collect from him after the inspection area.
He pointed at the duo and explained that one of them was the owner of the bag. Both RO and AK confessed before a lieutenant that they came from Brazil with MJ and handed him the contraband to walk with it through the inspection area.
