A man was caught out smuggling three million euros of counterfeit cash inside a suitcase at Dubai International Airport, a court heard.
The Pakistani traveller had landed in the UAE on a flight from Italy when thousands of fake bank notes were discovered during a search.
The 51-year-old insisted he did not know he was carrying the illegal currency – saying he had been handed the luggage to carry by another man.
When questioned by police, he provided them with the name of the man who had given him the cash-filled case and a 36-year-old compatriot was tracked down and arrested.
Both men denied a charge of smuggling fake banknotes with an intention to sell at Dubai Criminal Court.
An Emirati customs inspector said the counterfeit cash was found after the luggage was scanned at about 2.30am on July 29.
“We opened it and found Euros which we suspected were counterfeit,” said the 31-year-old Emirati inspector.
The case was searched manually and thousands of 500 euro notes were found, which inspectors suspected to be fake.
The man was held and the currency – totalling €2.915 million (Dh12.25 million) – was sent for testing, where it was found to be fake.
The man told prosecutors he unwittingly brought the money into the country.
"A man gave me the bags to carry to Dubai and I didn't even know or ask why," said the defendant.
The next hearing is due to be held on November 4.
The specs
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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On sale: Now
Ticket prices
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- Floor Standing - Dh495
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Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
