Dubai, November 15, 2023 – Dubai Criminal Court sentenced an Asian worker to three years in jail, followed by deportation, and imposed a fine of Dhs100,000 for his involvement in promoting drugs through WhatsApp.
The defendant, whose identity remains undisclosed, managed to accrue Dhs430,000 through 814 deposits into a bank account, all while claiming innocence and attributing the account’s management to an external individual.
The case unfolded in February when the General Department of Anti-Narcotics received a tip-off about a WhatsApp account holder engaged in the sale and promotion of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances within the UAE.
The perpetrator operated using a foreign phone number, adding a layer of complexity to the investigation.
During the subsequent interrogation, a police officer revealed that a dedicated team from the General Department of Anti-Narcotics successfully identified the bank account linked to the drug promotion activities.
Surprisingly, the account holder turned out to be a worker who had initially opened the account in 2021 to receive his monthly salary. However, the investigation revealed that he had yet to receive any wage since then.
Further scrutiny of the defendant’s account unveiled a staggering Dhs430,000 accumulated over four months from November 2022 to February 2023.
This substantial sum was derived from over 800 bank deposits by 604 individuals of diverse nationalities residing in the UAE.
Authorities, after cross-referencing the data with criminal records, discovered that a sample of the depositors had a history of drug abuse.
Armed with this information, a search warrant was issued, leading to the subsequent arrest of the bank account holder.
During questioning, the defendant confessed to opening the bank account using a salary certificate issued by a previous employer, as per the request of an individual outside the country.
In exchange for cooperation, the defendant claimed to receive a percentage of the funds deposited into the account. Notably, he vehemently denied any involvement in the promotion and sale of illicit substances.
The court’s verdict reflects the seriousness with which the UAE addresses drug-related offences, aiming to safeguard its citizens from the detrimental effects of narcotics.
The case underscores the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the swift adoption of technology in tracking down individuals involved in illegal activities, even across international borders.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members