Urgent warning to all travellers to United Arab Emirates after Briton imprisoned for 4 years for 0.003g cannabis caught in the tread of his shoe

Poppy seeds in food, common over-the-counter medications and traces of banned substances enough to attract 4 year prison sentence after clampdown

The legal charity which assists those facing trial abroad has issued an urgent warning to all travellers to or through Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) generally to ensure they are completely free of any substances prohibited by that country.

The warning comes after Fair Trials International learnt this week that one of its clients, 43-year-old Middlesex man Keith Andrew Brown, has been sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment after 0.003g of cannabis was found in the tread of his shoe by customs officials in Dubai during transit from Ethiopia to London last September. This amount would not be visible to the naked eye, and weighs less than a single grain of sugar.

We have seen a steep increase in such cases over the last 18 months. Customs authorities are using highly sensitive new equipment to conduct extremely thorough searches on travellers and if they find any amount no matter how minute it will be enough to attract a mandatory 4 year prison sentence, said Fair Trials International Chief Executive Catherine Wolthuizen.

Moreover, the list of banned substances in UAE includes many medications available over-the-counter in other countries, such as codeine a common ingredient in pain relief and cold-and-flu medication, as well as poppy seeds a common baking ingredient.

What many travellers may not realise is that they can be deemed to be in possession of such banned substances if they can be detected in their urine or bloodstream, or even in tiny, trace amounts on their person. We even have reports of the imprisonment of a Swiss man for ‘possession’ of 3 poppy seeds on his clothing after he ate a bread roll at Heathrow.

With UAE becoming one of the most popular tourist and transit destinations in the world in part due to extensive marketing of its beaches and shops travellers need to know the risks they face if they are not completely clean of any banned substance or do not have a prescription for any medication they are carrying.

For this reason, we have today published a comprehensive list of banned pharmaceuticals on our website and urge travellers to check any medication they may be carrying, and ensure their clothing is completely free of any banned substance before they fly,concluded Ms Wolthuizen.

For the list of banned pharmaceuticals, please click here

Keith Andrew Brown
43 years old from Middlesex. Arrested on 17 September 2007 at Dubai airport, enroute to London from Ethiopia. He and his wife were stopped and searched at the airport and nothing was found. Then the stub of a roll-up cigarette was seen on the sole of his shoe. He was charged with possession of 0.003g of cannabis and was this month sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment. He is waiting for an opportunity to seek clemency.

Robert Dalton, 25 from Kent
Robert travelled to Dubai on 13 November 2007 for a holiday after finishing his economics degree. He was stopped and searched at the airport and arrested after Customs officers alleged they found 0.03g of cannabis in his pockets. He is currently on trial and if convicted, will mostly likely receive a 4 year prison sentence.

20-year old man from West Yorkshire
Arrested at Dubai airport on 16 January 2008 while travelling back to the UK from Pakistan. Currently standing trial in Dubai after Customs officers alleged they found 0.02g cannabis in his pocket.

London man, in his 40s
Arrested on 7 May 2007 at Dubai airport on his honeymoon. Customs officials found 2g of cannabis in the pocket of a pair of shorts in his suitcase. He had forgotten it was there. He was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment but was granted amnesty in Ramadan and released in October 2007.

33 year-old London man
Was arrested at Dubai airport on 14 May 2007 after travelling to UAE on business. Customs officials found 2g of cannabis in his pocket. He had forgotten it was there. He was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment, but granted clemency and released in October 2007.

Tracy Wilkinson, 45 of West Sussex
Arrested at Dubai airport in 2005 for possession of codeine, a common pain relief medication, which she had been using to ease chronic back pain. She was held in custody for 8 weeks before officials accepted proof from her doctor of its use for prescribed medical purposes only.

Other reported cases

A Swiss national currently serving 4 years after 3 poppy seeds were found on his clothes by customs officials at Dubai airport. He had bought and eaten a bread roll at Heathrow before flying to UAE.

19 French nationals have been arrested in the past 18 months for possession of banned substances.

In June 2007, a 24 year-old Italian man was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment after 0.01g of cannabis was found in his jacket pocket.