Dubai: Zero Tolerance on Drug Possession

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | 2 comments | August 2nd, 2007 | Trackback

Possession of tiny amounts of illegal drugs means a jail sentence in the zero-tolerance United Arab Emirates, as evidenced by two Britons sentenced to four-year jail terms in Dubai in June. One was carrying 0.11 grams (0.004 ounces) of hashish, while the other, arrested two weeks later, had 1.18 grams (0.04 ounces). The law here also considers controlled drugs in your system illegal, so even if you do not have any in your possession, if traces are found in your blood you will be jailed. This happened to an Egyptian who smoked a hashish cigarette the day before he flew to the UAE. He was sentenced to four years in jail by a court in the emirate of Fujairah. Prescription painkillers can also be illegal, so be sure to carry your doctor’s prescription with you if traveling with drugs containing codeine or other narcotic-like substances.

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