A British DJ has been sentenced to four years imprisonment by a Dubai court, after traces of cannabis were found in his bloodstream.
The man, who has been identified only as A.Y, was arrested by Dubai police after they were given a tip off that he had been consuming the drug. Upon searching the man and his belongings, no controlled substances were found, however a blood test showed that he had consumed cannabis. Despite the man’s insistence that he had last smoked cannabis in the UK during Christmas, the Dubai police remain convinced he consumed the drug during his stay in the Emirate, he was then charged with narcotics consumption.
This case again highlights the differences between Dubai and English law, in the Emirates offences that are seen as minor in the West can come with much graver punishments in the East. Contrary to England, Dubai courts see drug traces in the bloodstream as possession, and a four year jail term is the norm for possession charges.
Arrests of British citizens in Dubai have become a real problem over the past few years. There are strong concerns that the stark difference in outlook is not registering with Brits when they travel to the Emirate state, thus falling afoul of the law by acting in a manner that is inappropriate for the UAE.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has reported that British people are more likely to be arrested in the UAE than any other country, this year 125 Britons have already been arrested in Dubai.