Man sentenced for drug buy at hospital

Police say he had arranged to meet a man who stabbed himself so he would be taken there for treatment.

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DUBAI // A man detained on drug charges at Al Rashidiya police station stabbed himself so he would be taken to a hospital where he had arranged to obtain heroin, a court heard this morning.

HS, 27, an Emirati, confessed before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance that EK, the detainee, contacted him and asked to meet him on January 15 at Rashid Hospital so he could buy 1.14 grams of heroin.

HS was sentenced to four years in prison today. EK has not yet been charged.

A police lieutenant at the anti-narcotics section testified that officers learnt of the plot in advance. When HS came to the hospital, police arrested him at the main gate and found the heroin in his right pocket hidden in a red balloon. He confessed he was delivering the drugs to EK.

During investigations, EK said someone stabbed him about 3.30am on January 15, but refused to give away his attacker's identity.

salamir@thenational.ae