(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Khorfakkan Court of Appeal on Thursday upheld a lower court's verdict awarding capital punishment to an Iranian in absentia for smuggling 18kg of hashish and 20,000 tramadol tablets into the country.
The court fined the Iranian, identified as H.A, Dh50,000 and ordered the confiscation of the drug haul.The court, however, modified the sentences against four other accused, all Emiratis, in the same case.
It commuted the death penalty awarded to a UAE national, identified as W.S., to life imprisonment for smuggling the drugs into the country. However, he was given an additional four years in prison for possessing and consuming narcotics.
The court acquitted the third accused, identified as M.M., also an Emirati, of drug smuggling but sentenced him also to four years in jail for possessing drugs for consumption.
The court cleared two other Emiratis, identified as A.M. and S.M., of possessing and using narcotics and mind-altering drugs. The lower court had sentenced them to 10 years in jail plus a fine of Dh20,000 each on the same charges.
According to the case, the five formed a gang to smuggle 18kg of hashish and 20,000 tramadol tablets into the country.
In December last year, the Anti-Narcotics Department of the Sharjah Police received a tipoff about the gang planning to bring a large quantity of drugs into the country through Dibba Al Hosn checkpoint bordering Oman.
The police got an arrest warrant issued by the Public Prosecution and kept a watch for the gang.
As soon as the gang entered the UAE, the police intercepted their car in which four Emiratis were found. On searching the car, 18kg of hashish and 20,000 tramadol pills were recovered.
The four suspects were detained and referred to the prosecution. Later, it was found out that they had a fifth accomplice, an Iranian. The Iranian's role was to transport the contraband to the four Emiratis, but he managed to escape before the police caught the gang.
In May this year, the Court of First Instance awarded W.S. and H.A. death penalty, the second one in absentia. The court also sentenced S.M and A.M to 10 years in jail plus Dh20,000 each in fine and M.M to four years in prison.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.