Three Britons in UAE handed four years for drugs

DUBAI: Three Britons were sentenced to four years in jail on drugs charges in Dubai yesterday, a day after the British prime minister expressed concern over their treatment.
Grant Cameron, Karl Williams and Suneet Jeerh were arrested in July 2012 during a holiday in the UAE. Police said they had found a form of synthetic cannabis in their hire car.
All three had pleaded not guilty to charges of possessing and intending to sell illegal drugs and said police had subjected them to beatings and threatened them with guns — allegations the police deny.
UAE Judge Ali Attiyah Saad sentenced the Britons to four years in jail each at Dubai Criminal Court.
One of the defense lawyers, Issa bin-Haider, said the sentences indicated the court had dropped the charge of intent to sell illegal drugs as that would have carried a more severe punishment.
Abdel-Hamid Mahdi, who represents Grant Cameron, said he planned to appeal the sentence, asking for mercy. It is common for convicts to be pardoned during national and religious holidays in the UAE, particularly first-time offenders.
There is zero tolerance for drug-related offenses in the UAE, a regional business hub and tourist destination where millions of expatriates live and work. There are severe penalties for drug trafficking and possession.