Man found with cocaine-soaked clothes in Dubai jailed 10 years

Drug smuggler who claimed he was unaware the clothes in his luggage were soaked with 53 kilograms of liquid cocaine is sentenced to ten years in jail.

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DUBAI // A drug smuggler who claimed he was unaware the clothes in his luggage were soaked with 53 kilograms of liquid cocaine was today sentenced to ten years in prison.

The Criminal Court also fined JQ, a 32-year-old from Turkey, Dh100,000 and ordered him to be deported following his prison term.

He was questioned by police after arriving at Dubai International Airport from Brazil shortly after midnight on July 18 this year.

"He was very scared and confused," said AS, the 35-year-old Emirati policeman who stopped him.

The policemen said that the traveller initially denied having any luggage, but paused for a moment and then admitted having two bags.

When police opened the bags, a powerful smell of cocaine filled the air.

Each of the bags contained clothes that had been soaked in large amounts of liquid cocaine. There was 28.8kg of cocaine in one, 24.2kg in the other.