A Dubai court sentenced DJ Raymond Bingham, better known as Grooverider, to four years in jail today (Feb. 19), three months after he was caught in possession of marijuana.
The 40-year-old disc jockey was arrested at Dubai airport on Nov. 23 when customs officials found a transparent bag containing 2.16 grams of marijuana in his luggage.
Grooverider, who co-hosts a drum’n’bass show on BBC Radio 1 with fellow DJ Fabio, was not in court for sentencing. He remains in custody and has two weeks to appeal.
Dubai, one of the seven emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates federation, has a zero tolerance drug policy. Under UAE law, drug trafficking carries a sentence ranging from four years jail to death, though executions are rare. Foreigners convicted of bringing drugs into the Gulf trade and tourism hub normally face jail terms followed by deportation.
Bingham, who flew to Dubai to play a set at a top nightclub, had previously said he was not aware the drug was in his luggage and had no intention of smuggling into Dubai.
“This is the minimum that you get by law but we will do our best, especially since he confessed and has cooperated with the authorities,” defense lawyer Mohammed Suweidi told Reuters.
Dubai, the Gulf’s trade and tourism hub, is home to a large expatriate community and is known as the glitzy nightlife capital of a conservative Muslim region.
The head of Fair Trials International, a charity that works for fair trials of people held outside their home country, said the UAE authorities were using highly sensitive equipment capable of detecting minute traces of drugs on visitors.
“We have seen a steep increase in such cases over the last 18 months,” Fair Trials International Chief Executive Catherine Wolthuizen said.
“With the UAE becoming one of the most popular tourist and transit destinations in the world … travelers need to know the risks they face if they are not completely clean,” she said.
High-profile drugs cases in the UAE have included U.S. music producer Dallas Austin, who has worked with Michael Jackson and Madonna. He was given a four-year jail term for possessing cocaine and other drugs but quickly pardoned.
COPYRIGHT: (c) Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
Related
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news