A woman in Dubai has been sentenced after she used a friend’s passport to pick up a shipment of papers contaminated with drugs, authorities confirmed.
Dubai: Woman sentenced for collecting drug-laced paper shipment using friend’s passport.
A Dubai court sentenced a Central Asian woman to three months’ imprisonment and ordered her deportation after she used a friend’s passport copy to collect a parcel later found to contain paper soaked in narcotics. The friend was cleared of any wrongdoing, as the court determined she was not involved in the incident.
The investigation began in April when a customs officer became suspicious of a package arriving from Europe. A thorough manual inspection revealed that the shipment contained sheets infused with narcotic substances. Authorities then initiated a controlled operation to identify and track the person attempting to receive the parcel.
Investigation reports indicate that the woman went to the courier office after being notified to pick up the package. She showed a printed passport copy, claiming it as her own, and was immediately detained by customs officials and police.
During the trial, a police officer recounted that the accused had claimed the name on the printed passport copy matched her own, insisting it was valid identification. Initially, this appeared to be a routine verification, but authorities conducted a background check on the details provided. Their findings revealed that the passport copy did not belong to the woman in custody but to another individual. Law enforcement quickly contacted the passport holder, summoning her for questioning to clarify her involvement. The woman who owned the passport firmly denied any connection to the parcel or the attempted collection, stating that she had no prior knowledge of the shipment or the incident.
Further investigation shed light on the relationship between the two women. Officials discovered that they had previously crossed paths several months earlier, at a time when the friend had been residing in Dubai. During this period, she had provided the accused with a copy of her passport. The purpose, according to the friend’s statement to authorities, had been entirely legitimate: she had intended to assist the accused with a visa application so that she could return to the UAE lawfully. There was no suggestion at that time of any criminal intent.
However, after the friend returned home, the accused retained the passport copy rather than returning it as agreed. Law enforcement records indicate that the accused later used this document to attempt to retrieve a parcel that contained narcotic-laden papers. Investigators concluded that this was a deliberate misuse of someone else’s identification, rather than a misunderstanding or clerical error. By presenting the copy at the courier office, the accused sought to impersonate the friend to gain possession of the illegal shipment, actions which ultimately led to her arrest.
Authorities emphasized that the friend had no part in the scheme and had not authorised or been aware of the attempt to collect the drugs. The Dubai Criminal Court later ruled in her favour, acquitting her of any wrongdoing. The case highlights how a seemingly minor act, such as lending a passport copy for legitimate purposes, can be exploited if placed in the wrong hands. It also underscores the thoroughness of Dubai’s law enforcement and customs authorities in tracing the source of suspicious parcels and identifying the individuals responsible.
In summary, investigators determined that the accused knowingly misused a friend’s passport copy to attempt the collection of narcotic-laced materials, while the passport owner remained entirely uninvolved. The findings formed the basis for the court’s sentencing and the friend’s acquittal.
In her defence, the accused denied any involvement in the importation of narcotics, asserting that the parcel in question was not hers. She claimed that a Gulf national she had encountered in Dubai’s Jumeirah area had asked her to collect a package from Europe, which he had described simply as a “book.” According to her testimony, she agreed to help because the man did not speak English, and she maintained that she had no knowledge that the parcel actually contained papers soaked with narcotic substances. She insisted that her actions were purely a favour and not connected to any illegal activity.
However, the court rejected her version of events. Judges pointed out that her use of another individual’s passport copy to retrieve the shipment could not be considered an innocent mistake. By presenting identification that did not belong to her, the court argued, she demonstrated a conscious effort to conceal her true identity while collecting the parcel. This deliberate act was interpreted as a clear indication of intent to commit an illegal act, undermining her claims of ignorance.
Meanwhile, the friend whose passport had been misused was found to have no involvement in the crime. The court confirmed that she neither knew about the contents of the package nor participated in any way in the collection attempt. Consequently, she was fully acquitted of all charges, leaving responsibility solely with the defendant.
Following the court’s ruling, the woman was sentenced to three months in prison. Authorities also ordered her deportation upon completion of her jail term, in line with legal procedures for foreign nationals convicted of criminal offences in the UAE. The case highlights the seriousness with which Dubai authorities treat the misuse of identification documents and the illegal importation of narcotics, as well as the importance of distinguishing between the actions of the accused and those of uninvolved parties.
