Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

A Kenyan man has been sentenced to life in jail in Dubai for smuggling marijuana in miniature boats sent in a package to the emirate. The Dubai Criminal Court also meted out a Dh500,000 fine on the 33-year-old man for drug smuggling. The case was uncovered after Dubai Customs officers found 600 grams of marijuana hidden inside 10 wooden miniature boats shipped to Dubai. The officers found the illegal drugs in five plastic bags that were stuffed inside the model boats. Police then maintained surveillance as the package was delivered to the Kenyan. He arrived with a friend on September 1 last year to collect the shipment and was immediately arrested and taken into custody along with his companion as soon as they received the package. Both men tested positive for drug use, and the Kenyan man’s friend admitted during police investigation that he used drugs that his friend supplied. The court was told that the Kenyan man had asked a family member in his country to send him the marijuana using courier services. During interrogation, the Kenyan man admitted that he smuggled drugs into the UAE and facilitated drug consumption, but in court, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was convicted of both charges and will be deported after serving his prison term. In the UAE, life imprisonment is equivalent to a prison term of no less than 15 years and not exceeding 25 years. ICA/Expat Media
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