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Following his November 2007 arrest in Dubai on drug possession charges, drum ‘n bass identity Grooverider, aka Raymond Bingham, has received a sentence of four years in prison.
As previously reported, Bingham admitted in court late last month to being found in possession of 2.16 grams of marijuana at Dubai international airport. He claimed to have forgotten the marijuana was in a trouser pocket in his luggage, and his lawyers argued the UK DJ had no knowledge of Dubai’s harsh drug laws.
“I searched him and he had nothing illegal on him, but when I searched his bag I found marijuana in a plastic bag inside a pocket of his jeans,” a customs officer told the court. “When I asked him about it he said it was marijuana and that it was for his personal use and he had forgotten it was in his trousers.” (7 Days, UAE)
The four year sentence is the minimum for drug possession in the United Arab Emirates.
westerndog says...
well that sucks... 4 years for 2.16 grams!... That is why minimum sentences are stupid...
minhbo says...
That's fucked up. 4 years for $40 worth of pot?
adzieinthahouse says...
why don't they hold a gig, do a raid, an c how much sh*t they can round up off the thousand odd locals that will show up . that sucks surely under the circumstances , the man could of smoked that on the way to the cop shop
pickles302 says...
suppose thats where the saying "crime doesn't pay" comes from
bongboy28 says...
That shit is just not kocher.
mems says...
poor fella
batfreak says...
That's called 'Arab law', peeps. A warning to us all: NO ONE can afford to make a mistake at Customs.
Amaravi says...
Drug laws these days are just obscene. Drugs are a reality and the current practice of sending people to prison for it simply doesn't stop people using them. All their doing is ruining the lives of scapegoats like this guy
Amaravi says...
Drug laws these days are just obscene. Drugs are a reality and the current practice of sending people to prison for it simply doesn't stop people using them. All their doing is ruining the lives of scapegoats like this guy
laura_davison8585 says...
I went to high school in the UAE and one of the kids was caught coming back in the country with pot in his shoe, but somehow they manged to swindle it so he was deported and that was all. if you're going to a place like dubai you need to have respect for the laws and religion.
haydn81 says...
thats fucked !!