A European man has been banned from carrying out money transfers for two years after a UAE court convicted him of depositing money into a bank account linked to drug dealers in order to purchase narcotics.
The court also imposed a Dh10,000 fine after finding him guilty of participating in financial transactions connected to drug promotion.
According to police investigations, the case began when the defendant came into contact with a drug promoter through the messaging application WhatsApp. During their conversations, the promoter allegedly offered to sell narcotics and sent the defendant photographs of the drugs, including crystal meth and hashish.
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After agreeing on the purchase, the dealer instructed the man to transfer the payment by depositing money into a specific bank account rather than meeting in person. Investigators said the method was intended to avoid direct contact and reduce the risk of detection.
The defendant later admitted during police questioning that he deposited money twice into the account provided by the promoter in exchange for drugs.
Authorities said the investigation uncovered that the account used for the deposits belonged to individuals involved in promoting and distributing narcotics.
Prosecutors told the court that the financial transfers formed part of the mechanism used by the suspects to facilitate the illegal trade, allowing payments to be collected remotely while communications were conducted online.
The court heard that the defendant acknowledged making the deposits after viewing the images of the drugs sent to him through the messaging application and agreeing to the purchase.
After reviewing the evidence and the defendant’s confession, the court found him guilty of depositing money into an account linked to drug promoters.
In its ruling, the court ordered that the man be prohibited from transferring money, either personally or through another person, for a period of two years unless he obtains prior approval from the Central Bank.
The restriction, in addition to the financial penalty, aims to prevent the misuse of banking channels in illegal activities and to deter individuals from facilitating drug-related transactions through financial transfers.
Source: Khaleej Times