A Nigerian caught trying to smuggle 3.7kg of cocaine through Abu Dhabi International Airport in the lining of his suitcase has had his ten-year jail sentence upheld.
The criminal court had heard the man was in transit from Brazil to his home country on November 4 last year, when customs officials discovered the drugs hidden in the inside fabric of his suitcase.
The man was arrested and charged with smuggling drugs with intent to sell.
The criminal court convicted him of transferring drugs through transit instead of drug dealing and he was jailed for 15 years and fined Dh50,000, to be followed by deportation.
He appealed against the verdict, and Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal reduced his jail term to ten years but upheld the Dh50,000 fine.
The defendant also appealed against the ruling at Abu Dhabi’s Court of Cassation, arguing that reports regarding the amount of cocaine he was caught with were contradictory in the case files.
The court rejected the appeal, saying his claims were simply intended to bring doubt upon the ruling.
Previous hearings had heard the defendant say he had agreed to smuggle the drugs for a fee of $5,000 (Dh18,365).
The man also arguedthe case lacked evidence to prove he intended to deal the drugs. The court said this had already been reflected in the change of charge at the criminal court.
The Court of Cassation rejected his appeal and upheld the verdict of the Court of Appeal.
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