Dubai: A 75-year-old Iranian captain has admitted possessing and using drugs and claimed that he has been taking it as medication for his backache for 41 years, heard a court on Sunday.
"I do use codeine and alprazolam for my backache& I have been suffering from back pain for 41 years and I do take those pills as medication. I am an elderly man and have no one to assist me. Please treat me with mercy, your honour," pleaded the 75-year-old K.D., when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
The Public Prosecution charged the elderly with smuggling and possessing 5 capsules of codeine and 14 capsules of alprazolam for personal use. His 30-year-old compatriot sailor was charged with illegally bringing in and possessing around 33 grammes of opium. The two were jointly charged with consuming morphine, thepan and codeine. His compatriot sailor, H.D., also pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs but he denied taking drugs in Dubai.
An Emirati anti-narcotics first corporal testified that an informant alerted the police that the defendants possessed and were consuming drugs on board their boat which was docked in Dubai Creek.
"An anti-narcotics police team raided the boat and a sergeant spotted the elderly throwing a red sack in the sea& the sergeant jumped into the water and picked the sack which contained opium. The two suspects were arrested and the drugs were seized in their possession on the boat," claimed the first corporal.
A verdict will be heard soon.
