Woman ‘had secret drug pockets in underwear’ at Dubai airport

South African who says she has HIV is accused of also carrying capsules of cocaine in her uterus.

Powered by automated translation

DUBAI // A 39-year-old woman whose “heavy steps” were noticed by security personnel at Dubai International Airport was found to be carrying cocaine inside her underwear and private parts, a court heard on Mondau.

Female police officer M A, told the court that on August 2 she saw South African Z S “looking odd”.

“When I noticed she was tense and walking with heavy steps, I searched her and found nothing. But when I asked her to drop her underwear, she hesitated and showed signs of fear,” M A said.

The officer said that, after a thorough search, the woman was found to be wearing underwear with secret pockets with cocaine hidden inside.

“As the search continued, we found that she was carrying capsules containing drugs inside her private parts,” M A said. “She managed to take out three capsules and confessed to having three more.”

The woman then confessed to M A that she had met a man in Brazil who offered her US$8,000 (Dh29,384) in return for carrying cocaine weighing 1.06 kilogrammes to Georgia through Dubai.

“She told me she met this man on WhatsApp and he invited her to Brazil and provided her with a [plane] ticket. After spending two weeks in Brazil, she was provided with the drugs,” M  A said.

The policewoman said that Z S was taken to Rashid Hospital, where the remaining capsules were extracted.

Z  S denied drugs trafficking and said that she did not know the nature of the substance she was asked to carry. She begged the court for mercy, saying that she was HIV positive and was very sick.

The next hearing is on November 19.

salamir@thenational.ae