DUBAI // A man serving a life sentence for narcotics trafficking died of a drug overdose in his cell this morning, prison officials said.
Yousuf Al Shihi, 35, from Oman, died after taking prescription pills, sources said. A senior prison official who spoke to The National on condition of anonymity said Al Shihi was regularly issued medication for an unidentified condition. The official said Al Shihi hoarded some of the pills for recreational abuse.
"We believe that the prisoner collected pills over several days, then took them all at once," the official said. "He possibly attempted to get high."
Al Shihi was sentenced to life in prison in 2007 for smuggling 100 grams of hashish from Oman. He was in the fifth year of his 25-year term, according to officials. A life sentence is 25 years under UAE law.
A member of the Dubai Central Jail staff said Al Shihi had often threatened to take his own life after complaining that the UAE's narcotics laws were unjust.
"The life sentence was a huge shock to him, as he expected a maximum sentence of four to five years," the staff member said.
The staff member said Al Shihi had been receiving treatment at the Central Prison clinic for several disorders. The staff member said he was issued a specified number of pills every day.
A prisoner in the narcotics section of Dubai Central Prison said Al Shihi's body was discovered this morning.
"When we found the body, we informed a guard who ran to inform his seniors," the prisoner said. "They immediately came back in anti-riot gear."
According to the prisoner, on Tuesday night a cell search was conducted, and at that point Al Shihi must have consumed the pills.
"We think he was force-fed," he said.
The inmate said that they had asked to meet with prosecutors to ask for an investigation but their requests have been declined.
"We had a hunger strike at the narcotics section in February and asked for prosecutors to come and investigate our problems. They refused. We do not know who else we can turn to this time," the prisoner said.
Dubai Public Prosecution is the legal authority that investigates incidents in prison. Prosecution officials did not respond to requests for comment and did not clarify whether an investigation had begun.
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
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