Five Australians arrested in Dubai last week in an international police operation related to attempts to smuggle 1.8 tonnes of drugs into their homeland are being investigated by prosecutors here for possessing psychotropic substances to be trafficked.
The men, who allegedly attempted to smuggle AUD$810 million (Dh2.4 billion) worth of cocaine and methamphetamine to Australia via The Netherlands, were referred to Dubai’s Public Funds Prosecution on August 10, which ordered they remain in provisional detention for 15 days.
The case was referred from Al Riffa police station to prosecutors, who have received extradition requests from Australian authorities.
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As per UAE law in such cases, the men will be referred to Dubai Court of Appeal after the completion of investigations by prosecutors. The defendants will then appear before the court to face charges and they have the right to refuse being extradited. If they do, they could take the case as far as the court of cessation for a final verdict.
The men - brothers Fadi and Michael Ibrahim, Mustapha Dib, Stephen Elmir and Koder Jomaa - were arrested in two separate raids at 10pm on Monday and 1am on Tuesday last week. One raid took place in Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the other in Dubai Marina.
Seventy anti-narcotics officers from Dubai Police have been working on the case since the end of last year, police said.
