News: American denies sending cocaine to himself in the post

UPDATE:

A man, who claimed he lost his job and paid up to Dh130,000/$36,000 after an unknown sender couriered him 9.5g of cocaine, has been cleared of charges of importing drugs.

Drugs prosecutors accused the 34-year-old American, C.J., of importing cocaine.

Citing lack of corroborated evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the American of any wrongdoing on Sunday.

“It [cocaine] was sent by mail in my name but I don’t know who the sender is. This situation has cost me Dh130,000 and I lost my job,” argued C.J. when he entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal said the imported cocaine will be confiscated.

Prosecutors said the cocaine, according to the charges, was inside a nylon sack in a red pouch that was hidden in a pair of socks.

A drug enforcement officer claimed to prosecutors that he found the drugs hidden in a courier box while he was on duty at FedEx.

When asked before the court whether he did not order that substance to be delivered to him by courier or he did not import it at all, C.J. contended that the substance was sent to him by an anonymous sender.

During the trial, the American was on bail.

The officer claimed during prosecution questioning: “I was stationed at FedEx in November. Once the courier box [dispatched from United States] arrived at the counter, I suspected it. So I placed it inside the scanner to check its contents… there was a blue knitted hat. I had to make a small hole in it to be able to see what was inside. I discovered a white powder and then I reported the matter to Dubai Police’s anti-narcotics department for further legal action.”

The court decided that the evidence were insufficient to indict the suspect.

Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.

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A 34-year-old American man denied posting cocaine to himself at Dubai Criminal Court today, Tuesday June 03 2014.
“No, I’m not guilty, it was sent in the mail to my name but I don’t know who sent it,” said C F.
Prosecutors said that he had posted 9.51 grams of cocaine but he denied a charge of importing drugs.
Emirati S M, 25, an inspector at Dubai Police Anti-Narcotics Department, said that on November 24 last year at nearly 6.30pm, he was on duty at FedEx when he suspected something odd in a package arriving from the United States.
“I examined it through X-ray and found it contained a hat, a blue one, it was sewed from all sides so that you can’t see what’s inside of it,” said S M.
“We had to make a small cut to the hat then found a white powder, which we suspected to be drugs.”
The American told judges: “This situation cost me Dh130,000/$36,000 and I lost my job. I just want a resolution so I can go home.”
A verdict is expected on June 15.