Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Under the UAE's new law, a South American woman arrested with marijuana at Dubai International Airport (DXB) was cleared of criminal charges. The Dubai Criminal Court acquitted the defendant, which stated that the amount of drugs found in her possession proved that they were intended for personal use. She was a first-time offender as well. The 39-year-old suspect was arrested upon her arrival at DXB in April of this year. A search of her luggage found that she was carrying more than 61g of cannabis in two cigarette rolls. During the interrogation, she admitted to having the marijuana but said it was purely for personal use. Urine testing revealed that she had traces of cannabis in her system. Her Emirati lawyer, Awatif Mohammed of Al Rowaad Advocates, argued that the woman should be granted leniency under the country's new drug law because she was a first-time offender. The verdict, handed down last week, is subject to an appeal within two weeks. BKM/ Expat Media
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