Shopkeeper caught with drugs in Dubai ‘didn’t know he was in a police chase’

The Emirati was found with a large quantity of drugs including 14,500 tramadol pills and 225 grams of hashish but he claims they are for personal use.

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DUBAI // A shopkeeper caught with a large quantity of illegal drugs said he did not know the cars that were chasing him were police.

Emirati AK, 40, also said the drugs he had on him were for personal use, even though he was found with 14,500 tramadol pills, 225 grams of hashish, 6.26 grams of opium, 5.05 grams of heroin and 25.75 grams of crystal meth.

At Dubai Criminal Court on Thursday, he entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of damaging property and assaulting police officers, telling the court that on September 19 last year, he was trying to escape from two unidentified civilian cars that were chasing him.

“They didn’t identify themselves to me, there were no clues that they were police cars,” he said.

The prosecution told the court that AK was resisting arrest and attacked police officers by ramming his car against an unmarked Dubai Police Toyota Corolla and Toyota Yaris while trying to flee the scene.

Records show that police officers tried to apprehend AK and unemployed Yemeni AA, 24, after receiving a tip-off that they were in possession of and using drugs.

In court, AA was also charged with possession of drugs with the intent to sell and consuming drugs.

He denied the possession with the intent to sell charge and told presiding judge Maher Salamah that the drugs were for his own use.

The next hearing is set for June 11.

newsdesk@thenational.ae