Three students were cleared of hiding the body of their friend after he died of a heroin overdose but one defendant was charged with taking heroin.
Records show that the Emirati deceased, identified only as Harib, was reported missing by his family on August 31 after he failed to return to his home in Al Warqaa.
The following day, Harib's body was found in the driver's seat of his car, which was parked in a sandy area in Lehbab, metres from a main road.
Police said that hours after the body was found, one of the defendants called them saying he had information about Harib's death.
The defendant, accompanied by another defendant, went to Lehbab Police station and said a third man, aged 18, called them the night Harib died.
"The two met with the third Emirati accused in Al Warqaa area at around 2 am and said he was the one who suggested they hide the body. They also said it was he who injected Harib with heroin and told them that when he noticed Harib's condition was deteriorating, he injected him with citric acid in an attempt to revive him," said a police officer.
Police arrested the 18-year-old who told them that Harib was not feeling well when he had come to meet him that day and asked him to drive his car for him.
"He said that shortly after he took the driver's seat, he noticed that Harib was not moving. He stopped and checked his breath, but the man was not breathing so he panicked and called his friends. When they came, he drove the car to a remote area in Lehbab, placed Harib in the driver seat and collected all the heroin syringes from the car before all three fled," said the officer.
The three defendants were charged with hiding a dead body, which they denied in court last December.
One of them was additionally charged with consuming heroin, which he admitted.
Another denied an additional charge of facilitating drug consumption by injecting Harib with heroin, leading to his death.
Dubai Criminal Court cleared all three from the charge of hiding a dead body.
The defendant accused of consuming heroin will be referred to the court of misdemeanours, while the third was cleared from facilitating drug consumption charge.