DUBAI: A businessman and a driver who both denied possessing more than five kilograms of heroin with the intent to sell were sentenced to 10 years in jail each on Monday.
Police had been tipped off in June last year that the pair, Pakistani driver EB, 55, and countryman MK, 45, were waiting for the drugs to be delivered to them from outside the country.
“They received and stored it then waited for orders from the head, who is unidentified to us,” testified major OA, 37.
Police had the men under surveillance and, on the night of July 8, they were arrested in a sting operation in Al Qusais when they met while in possession of the drugs.
“EB ran away but about 15 minutes later he was arrested,” said the major, who added that as officers swooped MK threw away the bag containing the drugs and EB escaped and hid inside a lorry.
Records said 5.4kg of heroin was found with them.
A police captain told prosecutors that he documented the testimony of EB, who said that he received a call from a man in Pakistan directing him to meet MK to receive drugs before delivering them to another countryman who would smuggle them into Saudi Arabia.
He confessed that this was his third time committing the crime and that he was promised Dh12,000 for each kilo that reached Saudi safely.
Prosecutors said both defendants confessed to charges of possessing drugs to sell.
At Dubai Criminal Court, the pair were sentenced to 10 years each in jail and both were fined Dh50,000.
They will be deported after completing their sentences.
