A woman who was illegally administering Botox to clients in Dubai was fined Dh10,000 by the criminal court.
Police were tipped-off about the 32-year-old Russian woman by the Ministry of Health and Prevention who said the real estate agency manager was performing cosmetic procedures at her flat in Jumeirah Lake Towers without a licence.
Two police officers posed as customers and arranged an appointment with defendant at her flat for lip fillers.
"We received confirmed information from the Ministry of Health and Prevention that the woman performed lip and breast enlargement procedures using fillers and Botox without obtaining proper licensing," said an Emirati policewoman, 40.
On November 6, the two officers went to the woman's flat where they were greeted by a security guard.
"She had a room for cosmetic purposes and she then briefed us on how she provides consultations before directing my colleague to lay down on the bed so she would inject her with Botox," said the policewoman.
Just before the defendant injected the undercover officer, her colleague gave the signal to a police team waiting outside to raid the flat and arrest the woman.
In her testimony, one of the officers said the defendant introduced herself as a dermatologist and said she charges patients between Dh1200 – Dh1500 for each procedure.
"She advertised her services on social media and when we were inside her apartment, we heard knocking on the door several times which she said was from customers. She said she had many customers," the policewoman said.
Investigations revealed that the defendant, who came to the UAE in February 2017 and took on a job with a real state agency, brought the Botox and fillers from Russia.
During police questioning she said she graduated with a medicine degree in dermatology but didn't obtain a licence from UAE authorities.
In court, the woman denied practicing medicine on humans and said the flat and the items seized by police belonged to her sister, who is a doctor.
"My sister is a doctor, she came to the country and brought the items with her. She was trying to find a job as a doctor but when she wasn't lucky she returned home and kept all the items in the flat to return again for another try," she said in court.
The woman was convicted of practicing medicine without a license, possessing medical materials and endangering people's lives.
Dubai Criminal Court fined her Dh10,000.
Last month, Dubai Health Authority warned cosmetic patients to ensure their surgeons are properly licensed to avoid complications and botched operations.
Medical professionals should be able to present the correct credentials and prove that they are using "use quality products to avoid complications", DHA said.
