Dubai Pardons Briton 'With Cannabis On Shoe'

[Herb Fellow]

DUBAI - A British man sentenced to four years in jail in the Gulf emirate of Dubai for having a tiny amount of cannabis stuck to his shoe has been pardoned, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Andrew Brown was released early from prison in the Western-orientated emirate which is a popular destination for British tourists, the English language 7Days reported, without stating how much of the jail term he served.

The 43-year-old was arrested in September at Dubai International Airport after customs officers found 0.003 grams (0.0001 ounces) of cannabis on the sole of one his shoes.

The UAE imposes tough penalties for all drug-related offences. Four years is the usual sentence for possession while trafficking carries the death penalty.

The Gulf News reported on February 19 that a Dubai court had sentenced British dance DJ Grooverider to four years in prison for drug possession.

The newspaper said 2.16 grammes (0.076 ounces) of marijuana was found in his luggage at the airport in November when he arrived to perform a gig in the emirate.

Source: Yahoo News
Copyright: 2008, AFP
Contact: AFP
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