UAE Court Sentences Nigerian Man and Gambian Wife to Life for Smuggling Drugs
A Nigerian man and his Gambian wife were sentenced to life imprisonment in Dubai for attempting to smuggle 4.2 kg of marijuana into the UAE.
The couple, aged 35 and 27 respectively, was apprehended on January 2, 2024, during a customs inspection at Dubai International Airport.
The drugs were concealed in vehicle filters within the woman’s luggage. The man was arrested later while trying to collect the shipment from a cargo service.
Evidence presented during the trial included digital communications linking the couple to the operation, as well as forensic reports.
The Dubai Criminal Court convicted them on November 28, 2024, imposing life sentences, fines of 500,000 dirhams each, and subsequent deportation after their imprisonment.
Failure to pay the fines will result in extended incarceration. The court also noted their involvement in previous drug shipments and rejected their claims of ignorance regarding the drugs.