ABU DHABI// Two Nigerian men who were caught trying to smuggle 118 cocaine capsules through Abu Dhabi International Airport were each jailed for 15 years and fined Dh50,000.
The criminal court heard that the men were in transit through Abu Dhabi from Brazil to their home country when they both became seriously ill. They were taken to hospital by ambulance, where the drugs were found inside them.
The defendants told the court that they had been hungry and homeless in Brazil, where they were taken advantage of by gangsters who offered them an air ticket home.
Their defence attorney had argued that the transit area of the airport is not officially part of the UAE, hence the court did not have the authority to adjudicate on the case.
However, the judge clarified that transit areas at airports fall under the jurisdiction of the UAE.
hdajani@thenational.ae
