2 workers stand trial for stealing tramadol tablets from hospital

ras al khaimah — Two Asians stood trial at the Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court, accused of stealing tramadol pills from a private hospital where they were working in.

As per court records, the case unfolded early this year when the hospital alerted the RAK Police about the suspects.

Police investigations showed that the first suspect, who was working as an office boy, stole a strip of five tablets from the pharmacy of the hospital. The suspect admitted to his crime, saying that he stole the prescription-only medicine for consumption.

He further told the law enforcement bodies that he could not get the tramadol strip out of the hospital first. Therefore, he handed it over to his fellow mate, the second suspect.

The other accused told the RAK Police that he agreed for his friend to hide the drugs in his pocket to get out of the hospital for consumption later. However the hospital management found out about the theft and informed the police before the suspects managed to get out with the drug. The police seized the tablets and arrested the duo.

The suspects admitted to their crime and were referred to the RAK Public Prosecution, which charged them with stealing narcotics with the intention of illegal consumption. The case was moved to the RAK criminal court presided by Chief Judge Sameh Shaker who started hearing the case.

The same court had earlier sentenced an Arab woman to seven years in jail and deportation for peddling 15,000 tramadol tablets.

The RAK public prosecution told the court that the drug dealers, mainly those peddling tramadol tablets, are targeting young people in total disregard of their catastrophic impact on their health, family, and life as a whole.

Tramadol is highly restricted as per the Ministerial Decree No15/2011 attached to the Federal Law No (14) 1995 (Second Article) regarding the Counter Measures against Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, they added. ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com