An unnamed British woman caught smuggling 4.4kg of CBD oil into the UAE has had her 10-year sentence upheld following an appeal.
Last April, the 31-year-old was found in possession of 307 e-cigarette pods with CBD in addition to 1.4 grams of cocaine.
Originally she was sentenced to ten years plus a Dh50,000 fine (£10,460) and to be deported upon release from prison.
Following this in September, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned travellers not to travel with CBD into the UAE in a statement
“Some skin care products and E-cigarette refills may contain ingredients that are illegal in the UAE such as CBD oil,” the statement read.
“If found in possession of such products, they will be confiscated and you may face criminal charges.”
In her appeal, the defence argued that the woman was unaware that CBD was illegal in many parts of the world in the UAE. They said that this coupled with the fact she made no attempt to hide the pods was indicative of a lack of criminal intent.
In the UAE there are strict penalties for trafficking and sentences can even include the death penalty.
