[FONT=Helvetica][QUOTE] FONT=HelveticaDubai Brit Jailed for 4 Years For a Speck of Puff[/FONT]

FONT=HelveticaTravellers to the United Arab Emirates were advised to apply ‘extreme caution’ this week after a 43 year old Brit was jailed for 4 years after cops detected a microscopic quantity of hashish stuck in the tread of his shoe.[/FONT]

FONT=Helvetica“The amount of the drug found on his shoe (0.003 grams) would not be visible to the naked eye and weighs less than a single grain of sugar,” London’s Evening Standard reported, adding that Keith Brown had been arrested when passing through Dubai Airport in transit from Ethiopia to London.[/FONT]

FONT=HelveticaTwo more 20 something British travellers were arrested with small amounts of cocaine and cannabis at the Airport, local newspaper 7 Days reported this week, joining 31-year-old Big Brother executive Cat Le-Huy, who this week began his third week in custody after being stopped initially for carrying legal over-the-counter jet lag aid melatonin.[/FONT]

FONT=HelveticaThe Hampstead TV executive was reportedly seized at immigration arbitrarily, interrogated, strip-searched and urine tested before being asked to sign papers in Arabic which he couldn’t read.[/FONT]

FONT=HelveticaCampaigning website TheTruthAboutDubai.org said airport officials are now holding him while they test tiny specks of dirt in his luggage, which they allege to be hashish. Friends of Cat said he’s struggling with prison food and isolation though otherwise ‘bearing up quite well’ and launched a campaign for his immediate release this week.[/FONT]

FONT=Helvetica"It has been quite scary in that they initially said he would be held for 24 hours, then that was 48 hours, which became a week, and then they added a further two weeks,” Radha Stirling, from Cat’s UK based legal team told the Hampstead & Highgate Express newspaper.[/FONT]

FONT=Helvetica"We are worried he will be held for three to six months without any charge or any hearing.”[/FONT]

FONT=HelveticaThe Arab Times meanwhile, reported this week that 19 French visitors have been jailed on drugs charges in Dubai in the last 18 months, with four picked up on New Years Day alone, adding weight to the stark warning issued by Cat’s partner designer Mildred Ho.[/FONT]

FONT=Helvetica“The moral of this story is, no one is safe: If you go to Dubai, you are guilty until proven innocent under their unique little brand of sharia-lite laws,” she wrote on a Live Journal posting.[/FONT]

FONT=Helvetica“DO NOT be fooled by their campaign of hearts and minds and their self appointed branding as some sort of open-minded oasis in the Middle East. Diz (Cat) is not alone: he is actually in the company of many other hapless victims who were singled out to make an example of. Do not think this could not happen to you. His story needs to get out so this does not happen to anyone else.[/FONT]

FONT=HelveticaThis is the message we need to get across: Dubai is not a safe tourist destination for Westerners.”[/FONT]

FONT=HelveticaWhether Cat has so far met Grooverider in jail remains unclear though a ray of light emerged in the Arab Times this week, concerning the 19 French jailed in the last 18 months. Though 7 still have to go to trial, the Times reported that 11 of the 12 convicted French people have already been released, under pardons issued by Dubai’s rulers.[/FONT] [/QUOTE][/FONT]

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with this country :(

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

How vigorous was the search if it wasnt visible to the naked eye? I cant understand why they would even bother with all the hassle for 0.003g of hash, its not even gonna get an ant high for fucks sake.

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

talk about over the top!

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

Your heading says it all :shock:

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[QUOTE][FONT=Helvetica][FONT=Helvetica] joining 31-year-old Big Brother executive Cat Le-Huy, who this week began his third week in custody after being stopped initially for carrying legal over-the-counter jet lag aid melatonin.[/FONT][/FONT][/QUOTE]

Read about that, now [B]THAT[/B] is fucked. Not only did they hold him up for a legal, over-the-counter drug (also legal in Dubai), they wanted to analyse some dirt or whatever because it was assumed to be hash too. WTF. Makes Singapore a paradise.

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

Now THATS what I call airport security. TSU take note.

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

saw this on digg this morning. WTF??

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

That's just crazy and doesn't make me want to go there.

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

Funny story, my cousin went over to see his girlfriend in San Francisco and was stopped by customs at the Airport. They looked in his wallet and found tiny crumbs of hash (barely visible). They proceeded to strip search him, handcuff him to a bench for 8 hours and then sent him to County Jail for 1 1/2 days before sending him on a flight back home. He Obviously didn't see the crumbs but i think what happaned to him is abit extreme. As far as i know he is banned from entering the states now..

Moral of the story is check your wallet for illegal shit before you hit customs..

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

yay islam!

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=Mr.Big;567161]

Moral of the story is check your wallet for illegal shit before you hit customs..[/quote]

Unfortunately in this case, moral of the story seems to be scrape the soles of your shoes before you go through customs in case you've stepped in something innappropriate, [B]or[/B] better still take nothing with you at all, as they'll probably bust you for carrying something perfectly legal, then raid your arsehole for good measure to check you haven't got a copy of FHM stashed up there :roll:

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=miketpoto;567163]yay islam![/quote]

amen to the christian god!:p

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

^ What the hell do you know, freshie ;)

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=thesightless;567189]amen to the christian god!:p[/quote]

look noob, show some respect! Next thing you know you'll start a "why can't I download thread"

How are you Sean? what happened to your 10,000 posts?

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=hypoluxxa;567200]look noob, show some respect! Next thing you know you'll start a "why can't I download thread"

How are you Sean? what happened to your 10,000 posts?[/quote]

jenks, pickle, etc etc etc/

i have no respect.

but in lines with the most ridiculous thing i have heard is two fold.

1. i heard a black man say that GW2 had the cure for AIDS and wanted to keep blacks down

2. a muslim at my office verified amenijihad's line of "there are no homosexuals in iran", by furthering it saying there are no homo's in the middle east, but turkey has some that will be forced out soon eneough....

those two things made me realize the stupidity of the human problem.

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=TheMightyGreg;567166]Unfortunately in this case, moral of the story seems to be scrape the soles of your shoes before you go through customs in case you've stepped in something innappropriate, [B]or[/B] better still take nothing with you at all, as they'll probably bust you for carrying something perfectly legal, then raid your arsehole for good measure to check you haven't got a copy of FHM stashed up there :roll:[/quote]

More like going over every pore with an electron microscope :lol:

It always helps to be paranoid and careful if you know you're going into a draconian country with zero tolerance. Especially if you're used to treating drugs casually and recreationally, and forget that they're illegal. One time I had a cab waiting while I stripped my luggage by the street 'cos I remembered vaguely I had half a pill left over somewhere ... :what:lol:

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

^^^ A friend of mine travelled half way round the world before she delved deep into her handbag in Denmark and found three pills. She flushed them !!!

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

oh please...this shit happens over there every Tuesday. I'm surprised they didn't just behead the guy on the spot. They must be getting soft

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

Wow, thats a bit over the top...how ridiculous Poor guy....if it was on his shoe lace, who's to say it's even his!

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

Allah probably planted the weed there. And yes, they're getting soft

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

My friend traveled to L.a this summer not knowing that i left a small piece of hash that i took from london in my cig packet......thank god no one noticed , im 100% sure they would send me back home....

thank allah for that :) amen

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

can they do that?, thats irrevelant.....how the police know is of him?....he could walk and grab it!..i mean 0.003gr wtf!...

thats just fucked up!......

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=miketpoto;567163]yay islam![/quote]

What does this have to do with Islam or are you just hating,,this only shows your ignorance and trust me its painfull.. ..

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

its just country politics to scare the hell out of evryone even thinking about smuggling anything to their country..I had a thread upther on how the scene there sux...shame on "mikepoto" relating this to islam,,,its just shows ur racism + ignorance...

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=trick12;567569]its just country politics to scare the hell out of evryone even thinking about smuggling anything to their country..I had a thread upther on how the scene there sux...shame on "mikepoto" relating this to islam,,,its just shows ur racism + ignorance...[/quote]Weird... I thought they had the sharia law in Dubai...

Personally, I like to blame it all on the jews ;)

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[S]It's called sarcasm[/S]

And to say this is some country politics to scare people into not smuggling shit into the country doesn't excuse what they're doing. Also, do these actions deter the actual smuggling operations? I doubt it. This only targets at best, end users / consumers and your hapless traveller.

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=KinKyJ;567577]Weird... I thought they had the sharia law in Dubai...

Sharia Law,,,Hell no this country has more bars and pros. than I've ever seen in any other country...they just do not tolerate drugs...or try..

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=trick12;567587] Sharia Law,,,Hell no this country has more bars and pros. than I've ever seen in any other country...they just do not tolerate drugs...or try..[/quote]derrrrrrp, they do have the sharia duder [URL]http://dubaiforvisitors.com/2007/09/27/the-sharia-dubai-law-how-it-affects-you/[/URL]

[QUOTE]The legal system in Dubai is however, a combination of Sharia, civil and criminal laws, while in other emirates only Sharia is implemented.[/QUOTE]

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

lets get religions out of this...I think no matter what its ridiculous to search that deep...I mean come on a dot of hash,,,they should be worried about more stuff...

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

^^^^^^^ That's a problem that has turned into an epidemic.

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

thats insane, cant be true

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[SIZE=2][B]Travellers to the United Arab Emirates are being warned about its severe drug laws which have seen dozens detained for apparently minor offences.[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=2]Fair Trials International said arrests were being made over tiny quantities of drugs and over-the-counter medicines. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] British tourist Keith Brown was sentenced to four years in prison after Dubai customs officers found a 0.003g trace of cannabis stuck to his shoe. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2]Fair Trials, a legal charity, said it has seen a steep rise in such cases. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2][B] Golden beaches[/B] [/SIZE] [SIZE=2]Possession of painkillers like codeine and some cold and flu medication could result in a mandatory four-year prison sentence, Fair Trials International said. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] In one of the most extreme cases, it reported a man being held after poppy seeds from a bread roll were found on his clothes. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] In recent years, chic hotels, skyscrapers and golden beaches have turned Dubai and Abu Dhabi into popular tourist destinations. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] Businesses too have flocked to the UAE, which promises a high standard of living because of its oil wealth. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] However, while it is considered one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf, the Muslim country's drugs laws are severe. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] Last year, 59 Britons were arrested in the UAE on drugs-related charges, according to the Foreign Office. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] Catherine Wolthuizen, chief executive of Fair Trials International, said customs authorities were using highly sensitive new equipment to conduct thorough searches on travellers. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] "So many people now travel to Dubai and, as we're seeing, many have no idea what risks they're taking or their vulnerability to this very strict approach," she said. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] "If they find any amount - no matter how minute - it will be enough to attract a mandatory four-year prison sentence. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] "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." [/SIZE] [SIZE=2][B] Jet-lag tablets[/B] [/SIZE] [SIZE=2]Keith Brown and his wife had been on their way from London to Ethiopia when they were stopped and searched at Dubai airport. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] At first customs officers found nothing, but then a roll-up cigarette was spotted caught in the tread of his shoe. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] The 43-year-old, from Middlesex, was charged with possession of 0.003g of cannabis and was sentenced to four years in prison. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] British resident Cat Le-Huy was arrested in Dubai for carrying Melatonin jet-lag tablets, which are sold over the counter in the US and Dubai. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] Mr Le-Huy told BBC News he was forced to sign a document in Arabic and was refused a translator. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] He said once the tablets were proved to be Melatonin, police took what he described as dirt from his bag and said they were now testing it to see if it was cannabis. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] Speaking from inside the prison, he said he knew nothing of any drugs in his bag. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] "I suppose there's a sense of disbelief more than anything else. I miss my friends and family back in London and I'm also aware of the other stress this is causing to friends and family. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] "As far as my welfare, I'm being treated relatively well and I have to go through the system and whatever path that takes, I'll just have to deal with it." [/SIZE] [SIZE=2][B] Bread roll[/B] [/SIZE] [SIZE=2]Aside from illegal substances, travellers have also been held for possession of prescription drugs. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] Tracy Wilkinson was held in custody for eight weeks before customs officers accepted the codeine she was carrying had been prescribed by her doctor for back pains. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] Meanwhile, a Swiss national is serving a four-year jail term after three poppy seeds from a bread roll he ate at Heathrow airport were found on his clothes. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] Fair Trials International has published a full list of banned substances on its website. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2]The Foreign Office is advising all travellers carrying any prescription drugs to take a doctor's letter detailing exactly why they need the medicine and the exact dose. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2] The UAE Embassy in London said it would not comment at this stage. [/SIZE]

[URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7234786.stm"]BBC[/URL]

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

I bet I would smoke a fucking UAE cop if they tried to hold me for four years, then they can give me a murder charge. Talk about ridiculous. Anything associated with Islamic culture is a fucking waste of space, I actually had a coworker defend the extremists killing women who are liberal also this is the same ass hat that defended the execution of the journalist who questioned the polygamy aspect of islam. Talk about joke religion/cultures/people.

They will all burn in hell anyway, wanna know why cause Jesus said so bitches!

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

They will all burn in hell anyway, wanna know why cause Jesus said so bitches![/quote]

now this is the most ridiculous thing I've heard.. its a waste even answering you...I'll see you in hell douchebag. didnt your religion teach you any manners,,,ur prob a kid...

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

Man you gotta chill the fuck out.

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

Ditto to that!! Not everything on this forum is a personal attack on you or your religion trick12

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=feather;568142] [SIZE=2]Meanwhile, a Swiss national is serving a four-year jail term after three poppy seeds from a bread roll he ate at Heathrow airport were found on his clothes. [/SIZE]

[/quote]

:shock: We have a new winner....the most ridiculous thing I've [B]ever [/B]heard. Surely this can't be true?

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=trick12;568151]now this is the most ridiculous thing I've heard.. its a waste even answering you...I'll see you in hell douchebag. didnt your religion teach you any manners,,,ur prob a kid...[/quote]

[IMG]http://www.hotoffthepressonline.com/prodimg/SARCASM.jpg[/IMG]

;)

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=trick12;568151]They will all burn in hell anyway, wanna know why cause Jesus said so bitches!

now this is the most ridiculous thing I've heard.. its a waste even answering you...I'll see you in hell douchebag. didnt your religion teach you any manners,,,ur prob a kid...[/quote]AY BITCH! It's all because of the dirty jews!

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b280/ThePerfectPasta/CartmanHitler-1.gif[/IMG]

:lol:

Re: Most ridiculous thing I've heard this year

[quote=trick12;568151]They will all burn in hell anyway, wanna know why cause Jesus said so bitches![/quote]

now this is the most ridiculous thing I've heard.. its a waste even answering you...I'll see you in hell douchebag. didnt your religion teach you any manners,,,ur prob a kid...[/quote]

No but my religion taught me the kings vernacular you heathen. I wish to God, as in the holy trinity, not some joke called Mohammed that the Roman Catholic Church brings back the inquisition, you guys would run like hell. You did in Spain...

Any who, for anyone looking for a good laugh: [YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=3ZQI0Xm29To[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=F56ZZzz4meU[/YOUTUBE]