DUBAI // Three men smuggled more than Dh4 million worth of heroin in cartons of oranges, a Dubai court heard this morning.
KO, 34, from Nigeria, admitted to possessing 16.1 kilograms of heroin but denied smuggling charges before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance. MS, 32, also from Nigeria, denied possessing or trafficking 29.8kg of heroin.
MA, 36, from Pakistan, also denied possession and trafficking 9.8kg of heroin.
Dubai Police announced the arrests of the three men June as part of what it called Operation Orange Harvest. Officers tracked more than 50kg of the drug in 2,565 orange cartons that arrived in Jebel Ali Port from Afghanistan via Pakistan.
Prosecution said MA, a salesman, was arrested in Al Aweer; KO, a salesman, in Naif; and MS near Hor Al Anz between March 5 and 7. Police had gotten a tip that the men had placed drugs in plastic bags and hid them in the crates.
Police said the drugs were probably heading to Africa and ultimately to Europe.
According to records, the shipment was stored in a warehouse at the Dubai fruit and vegetable market after arriving at the port.
MAH, a Bangladeshi salesman, testified that MA approached him and asked him to find a warehouse where he could store a large shipment of oranges in return for a commission.
"He came with two other men, also Pakistanis, and claimed the shipment was for them," MAH said, adding that he found warehouse space for 1,005 boxes, and the rest were sold.
"MA called me and said the two men will come to the warehouse and take some boxes. I noticed when they came they were looking for marked boxes," MAH said.
A few days later, police came and asked about the orange boxes, MAH said.
"There were 700 boxes remaining in the warehouse, and I gave them to police," he said.
The men will appear again in court on October 17, when lawyers will be appointed to defend them.
salamir@thenational.ae
