UAE: Gang Of 5 Jailed, To Be Deported Over Drug Trafficking

Five men of Asian and Arab nationalities were sentenced to prison and ordered to deportation after being convicted of running an organised drug trafficking gang in the UAE.

According to documents by the Abu Dhabi First Instance Court, the defendants distributed narcotics at multiple locations across the country, taking photos of the sites and sending the GPS coordinates to an accomplice abroad. Using social media, the accomplice then directed drug users to the drop-off points in exchange for money.

Investigations revealed that the gang was led by an Arab national, who coordinated with an Asian suspect residing outside the UAE. He arranged for drug shipments to be delivered through unidentified intermediaries before they were divided and hidden at several sites across Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

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Police arrested two of the defendants in the ringleader's apartment, where they were found in an suspicious state, along with packets of suspected crystal meth and hashish. Both admitted to drug use. A fourth suspect was later arrested in Abu Dhabi with more than 1.5kg of crystal meth and cash, while the fifth was caught in Dubai with quantities of hashish, crystal meth, cash, and tools used for packing narcotics.

Forensic tests confirmed the seized substances included methamphetamine, tetrahydrocannabinol, and cannabis, all classified as banned under Federal Law No. 30 of 2021 on narcotics and psychotropic substances.

The court sentenced the ringleader to life imprisonment and three additional months for separate consumption charges, followed by deportation. The two men arrested in his apartment were sentenced to two years in prison each for drug use, in addition to deportation.

The fourth and fifth defendants, both Asian nationals, were handed life sentences and will also be deported after serving their terms.

The court further ordered the confiscation of the seized drugs, two vehicles used in the trafficking operations, mobile phones, an electronic scale, and packing equipment.

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