Dubai: Twin sisters landed in court for smuggling cannabis-laced candy that they purchased from Amsterdam, which was seized in their possession during a four-day holiday to Dubai.

The 20-year-old South African twins were said to have visited more than four European cities and when they landed in Dubai for a short holiday, Customs officials caught 39 pieces of candy mixed with cannabis in their luggage at Dubai International Airport in July.

Prosecutors accused one of the sisters of smuggling and possessing 20 pieces of candy laced with 306gm of cannabis. The other sister was charged with smuggling and possessing 19 pieces of candy laces with 298gm of the same drug.

The twins pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.

They contended before presiding judge Urfan Omar that they purchased the candy from abroad and did not know that it contained any banned substances.

“There was no mention on the candy box outside that it contained any drug… our father gave us those boxes and asked us to carry them with us but we did not know that they contained any drugs,” argued one of the sisters, who were heard crying loudly in court.

The twins’ lawyer, Nasser Malallah, contended before the court that his clients had no criminal intent and were not aware that the candy was laced with drugs.

“My clients were on a European tour and crossed several cities and airports, where the authorities did not stop them for carrying the candy. They purchased them in Amsterdam and when they did, the boxes of candy did not have mention of their containing cannabis. The candy tastes like hashish but it does not contain hashish … it is just like any other material used to add flavour and smell to food products. Spain, which is famous for having zero tolerance for drug crimes, did not stop the two sisters when they went through its airport,” argued Malallah.

The suspects notified the authorities that they were carrying candy that tasted like hashish but does not contain hashish, the lawyer said.

“My clients were absolutely not aware that the candy which they had purchased contained a substance that is banned in the UAE. They are victims actually and not suspects. They had no intention to breach the UAE’s anti-narcotics laws. The candy were not hidden or packed in a secret way in the luggage … and when airport officials found them, they were packed normally. This proves that the sisters did not have any intent to smuggle a substance, which they thought to be candy and not drugs. We ask the court to acquit them and treat them with utmost leniency since they turn 21 next week,” concluded lawyer Malallah.

A ruling will be heard on November 21.