Visitor goes swimming high on drugs, arrested

He confessed he had swallowed the drugs in his home country before arriving here. We referred him to the anti-narcotics department and hospital.”

Police officer

dubai — A man, who had swallowed 28 capsules of drugs, was exposed after he was found having trouble swimming and even getting out of the water, a Dubai court has heard.

Public prosecution records show that the 29-year-old Nigerian man, holder of a visit visa, had swallowed more than 468 grams of crystal meth before arriving in the UAE. He went to swim at the Dubai Creek with the capsules in his stomach.

The defendant denied a charge of smuggling of drugs for peddling at the Court of First Instance.

A port police sergeant said the case dates back to November 4 last year, when they were alerted about a swimmer, who would not leave the water even though he did not look fine. “It was after 1:30pm. We dispatched a maritime rescue force to the Dubai Creek and he was pulled out.”

The sergeant told the investigator that the swimmer looked suspicious and was behaving awkwardly. “We referred him to the police department. But before he could be questioned, he complained of stomach pain.”

The officer told the prosecution investigator that after the defendant went to the toilet, he dropped capsules containing drugs. “He confessed he had swallowed the drugs in his home country before arriving here. We referred him to the anti-narcotics department and hospital.”

During investigation, the accused, whose urine sample tested negative for contraband substance, admitted he smuggled the drugs which he was to deliver to some persons here.

Crystal meth was seized from the accused and it weighed 468,35 grams, as shown in the police crime lab report.

A hearing has been set for February 18.