Drugs are completely unacceptable in Dubai. Foreigners found to be in possession of or selling drugs face prison, hefty fines and deportation.
Of course, none of that stops some people from trying. One Pakistani driver seemed to think WhatsApp was a good way to manage a side business selling controlled substances.
But as these things often go, it ended badly for the 41-year-old, as Khaleej Times reported on Saturday. Dubai's Court of First Instance has ordered the man to pay a 10,000 dirham ($2,772) and be deported, after he was found guilty of selling drugs via the messaging app.
He was, however, cleared of an additional charge of possessing narcotics.
Police got the tip from a 'reliable source'
The man was first arrested in December and was formally charged by the court earlier this month, Al-Arabiya reported. The Dubai police lieutenant in charge of the case explained that his department had been tipped off by a "reliable source."
"The accused was taking and possessing drugs for peddling at his place in Al Waheeda," the officer said, explaining that the arrest took place in Al Muraqqabat area.
"We raided his place and he was found with an amount of 16,950 dirhams in his pocket, which we suspected he made from selling drugs."
The man initially told the officers that he had made the large sum of money from selling his car while he'd previously been detained in jail. However, on further investigation this was revealed to be a lie.
"Our information was that he used social media to sell drugs. He was referred to the general directorate of criminal evidence for drug tests."
Upon closer inspection of the man's phone, a forensic team found photos and messages that provided evidence of his drug selling activities. A test of his urine also determined that he had been using drugs.
The UAE is working to combat its drug problem
The case follows another in the UAE earlier this month, in which a Pakistani man was caught by customs officers in Abu Dhabi carrying hashish in his luggage. The man claimed his mother – unaware of the UAE's laws on drug use – packed the substance in his bag.
Despite strict laws, a 2014 study reported by The National revealed that drug use in the UAE rose by 526 percent over the last three decades.
Drug addiction costs the UAE some 5.5 billion dirhams each year. This has led the nation to intensify its efforts to address drug use. Police have jointly collaborated with various institutions to combat substance abuse.
In 2016, Dubai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Department launched a six-minute video titled "A Soul's Tale" on social media, with the sole purpose of combating the use of controlled substances. The same year, the narcotics law in the UAE was amended.
The changes saw prison sentences reduced to two years, down from four years. Judicial authorities were also given other options when dealing with drug users, including issuing fines to violators and sending them to rehabilitation facilities instead of prison.
