Dubai: A British man who is accused of selling three grams of cocaine in Dubai told judges that he was returning the drugs, not selling it to a police source.
According to Abu Dhabi Federal Court of First Instance, the 26-year-old defendant was charged with possessing and selling drugs through a Telegram account.
Dubai Police set up a trap to catch the defendant in June 2020 after a tip-off that he was selling cocaine through a Telegram account he created using a British phone number.
Police arrested him while selling three grams of cocaine in return for Dh4,500.
A 30-year-old Emirati police officer at Dubai Police went to meet the defendant with the police’s source in Al Barsha.
“He jumped into the car and was in a confused state. He handed over the drugs for Dh4,500,” said the police officer.
After he handed over the drugs to the undercover policeman, the man was arrested.
During prosecution questioning, the accused denied selling drugs.
“I bought the drug through WhatsApp a day before the arrest but the next day the seller asked me to return it and I did,” the defendant said in records.
“It was then that I got arrested. But I can’t remember the details because I was under the influence of alcohol.”
Citing discrepancies in testimonies, the defendant’s lawyer Awatif Mohammed Khouri, from Al Rowaad Advocates, insisted on witnesses being cross-examined.
Judges have scheduled the case for January 4, 2020 to summon the witnesses, while the defendant will remain under custody.