(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Sharjah Shariah Court of First Instance has sentenced four Pakistani women to seven years in jail and Dh50,000 fine, to be followed by deportation for smuggling in 8,400 pills of tramadol.
The women aged from 20-40 years were arrested at the Sharjah International Airport, after the security officials found the pills hidden under belts wrapped around their bodies. The women claimed that they carried the pills without knowing that it was illegal. According to them, somebody in Pakistan asked them to carry the pills, saying that it was a medicine and authorities would not allow to take large quantity of it to the UAE. They said the man gave them a phone number, asking them to call him once they get out of the airport. The man was supposed to collect the 'medicine' and give them money for carrying it. A customs inspector at the Sharjah Airport said that the women looked scared and wanted to leave the airport fast. Another official said that the women were carrying only their handbags and were looking around in strange way, which raised their suspicion. The defence lawyer, who was assigned by the court, said that the poor women were trapped by the drug trafficker, who exploited their poverty.
Amira Agarib