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DUBAI: A Dubai court jailed a Pakistani for 15 years for smuggling heroin concealed in bags containing copies of the Quran, prayer mats and other religious paraphernalia, a report said Wednesday.
The 30-year-old man, identified only by his initials M.T., was convicted for possessing 24 kilogrammes of heroin that was stashed in five bags with hidden compartments, the Gulf News daily said.
“When we opened the bags, we found prayer mats, rosary beads and copies of the Quran along with food and the drugs,” a Dubai International Airport customs inspector was quoted as saying.
The defendant was fined 200,000 dirhams ($54,500) and will be deported after serving his sentence, the report said. He has 15 days to appeal the ruling by the Dubai court of first instance.
Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, has strict drug laws. Trafficking in illegal narcotics is punishable by death, although the sentences are often commuted to life imprisonment.
Drug possession without the intent to “promote” the narcotics carries lighter penalties.
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On DawnNews
Comments (36) Closed
Oct 29, 2014 02:18pm
Whole the country on the same track.. missing a single MOST important point...
Taqwa....
Allah does not guide the wrong doers!!!
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Oct 29, 2014 02:20pm
It should have been death why fine and deportation.
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Oct 29, 2014 02:40pm
Damaging the image of Islam. How come he was allowed to board from Pakistan?
Well done Dubai Customs! Pakistan's airport security personnel should take some lessons from emirati forces..
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Oct 29, 2014 02:45pm
We must improve upon our scanning and search systems/techniques so that such items are caught inland at the Airports instead of being caught abroad bringing bad name to the country and halal rizq earning Pakistanis working there. This case simply means that our agencies, responsible for anti-narcotics role, failed to detect this consignment at our own airport. People responsible for this lapse must be punished.
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Oct 29, 2014 02:51pm
Even religion is used to make illicit money...how low can you get?
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Oct 29, 2014 03:08pm
Greed for money has destroyed the image of the country but literally destroyed the country itself and made us most hated people of the world!
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Oct 29, 2014 03:23pm
Dubai Customs is a continuous ISO winner and Dubai police has a high degree of justice
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Oct 29, 2014 03:45pm
The biggest crisis we face as a nation is the total erosion of moral values. Having said that; it really is the state of our society that is driving people to manipulate every single facet of life, from religion to social regard - just to make a quick buck.
The wider question is, what is driving us to dice with death penalities and imprisonment. All that is left for these folks is a crack at destiny at all costs. The dire consequence of social injustice - that is rampant - in our society, is that life would be no different for the poor chap, be it in a Dubai jail cell or back home. We're heading into an abyss.
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Oct 29, 2014 03:57pm
@Babar One thing you forgot to mention is that Dubai Police are honest.
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Oct 29, 2014 04:21pm
don't just jail him, teach him a lesson of carrying something so evil along with religious books..
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Oct 29, 2014 04:23pm
How low can one get?
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Oct 29, 2014 05:03pm
Why would you take islamic paraphernalia to an Arab country? That is a dead giveaway. But I guess drug dealers are not very smart.
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Oct 29, 2014 05:23pm
this should be investigated how he passed all of this from the customs and drug agency from the airport he was flying from
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Oct 29, 2014 05:32pm
Astonishing! Still no one is caught in Pakistan.
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Oct 29, 2014 06:02pm
Again a Pakistani. aka shameless people ..
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Oct 29, 2014 06:14pm
He should have got the penalty. I know some heroin addicts. It is a horrible drug. Once you on it very difficult to get off.
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Oct 29, 2014 06:17pm
What a great tragedy?
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Oct 29, 2014 06:25pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad - What "tragedy"? We are not reading Hamlet here, its about a crime.
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Oct 29, 2014 06:30pm
@Yogesh As if there is no crimes in India and in rest of the world. When you hate Pakistanis why do read Pakistani news papers? Just to express your hate. I feel pity on you
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Oct 29, 2014 06:45pm
@Freeman - Agree...that type of people talk about shame but the irony is they themselves are "shameless".
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Oct 29, 2014 07:04pm
24 kilos of heroin! How can it be "not for promoting"? Nobody can consume 24 kilos of this stuff. He got off lightly!
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Oct 29, 2014 07:13pm
@Freeman Very fitting reply to Yogesh. Moreover how do you know the man was a Muslim. Only his initials are declared - M.T. He may even be a Hindu. There are still some Hindus left in Pakistan, aren't they ?
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Oct 29, 2014 07:19pm
Afsos.
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Oct 29, 2014 07:22pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad What a great tragedy?
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That he was caught?? or what?
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Oct 29, 2014 07:22pm
Why identified only by initials ? What happened to photos and all the other juicy stuff?
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Oct 29, 2014 07:59pm
@Yogesh Are there no criminals in your country? Are all people in your country angels?
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Oct 29, 2014 08:29pm
@Yogesh This is a Pakistani newspaper, which considers it a duty to report good, bad, and ugly about the Pakistani society. Would you like Dawn to report negatively on Indians? I don't think people like have the stomach to take it.
Please do not use this forum to spew hatred toward your Pakistani neighbors. Show a little respect for a change!
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Oct 29, 2014 08:30pm
Another 'proud' moment for Pakistanis!!!!! We keep stooping lower and lower everyday. Will we ever hit the bottom and bounce back?
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Oct 29, 2014 08:50pm
poverty and hunger plus lack of education is the reason for such crimes-----------------cannot imagin what forces people to do such crimes------very very sad.
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Oct 29, 2014 09:08pm
I was watching the Border force UK and Australia (a show about immigration and custom procedures) and I found that people from Pakistan and Nigeria when caught in bad acts red handed show their true color. They would cry, beg for forgiveness and bring Allah and mercy issues. While crooks from other countries would at least not break down like sissies and accept their crime and consequences. I think this indicates the mindset of our people that our bad actions don't make us evil per se and somehow we have a delusional sense on innate goodness and righteousness.
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Oct 29, 2014 09:15pm
How could you blame him when our role models,our so called national leaders commit all kind of sins ,busy looting national wealth.Nothing will change till we get rid of these sinful people.
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Oct 29, 2014 10:53pm
@Harmony good comment. Thank you.
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Oct 30, 2014 03:30am
How is this not a disrespect to Quran? How is this not blasphemy?
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Oct 30, 2014 05:00am
@John
It is. And it should be taken up as such!
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Oct 31, 2014 12:46am
@Harmony This is a big business these days in Pakistan, making fool people in the name of Islam. Sham full:(
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Oct 31, 2014 01:33am
Our heads are down with shame
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