The K Experience

Just flicking through the UK news, as I do from time to time, and I stumble upon the most rediculous article I have read in a long time. Keith Brown, a youth worker from the West Midlands, gets jailed in Dubai for FOUR years for being found with a minute trace of cannabis STUCK TO HIS SHOE!!!!!

I know drugs are a serious problem in the world, but it seems that some countries are going a bit overboard with their policy.

Many people already know that Dubai has a very strict zero-tolerance policy in regards to drugs. I think zero-tolerance is totally fair. Japan has a similar policy in regards to drink driving which I think is admirable. In their case, not only do you get prosecuted, but the establishment that sold you the alcohol also gets a hefty fine. However, in Keith's case, it seems like the officer's common sense was left in a tightly closed jar, in a safe, at home.

Unfortunately this is not a rare occurance, and according to the Daily Mail Article I got the story from,

and in another case

There are cases, however, where the fault lies with the traveller. Such as the recent case where Radio One DJ Grooverider, real name Raymond Bingham, (I prefer Grooverider), was caught with 2.16g of cannabis on him and also got four years. According to the BBC News article I got the story from, his excuse was,

I must have forgotton the spliff? You sure did mate! And also you're not back home. Understandably, people should check the rules and regulations of the places in which they wish to travel, BEFORE they travel. It's kind of common sense to not take drugs with you.

But 0.003g? Come on! That amount is smaller than a grain of sugar, invisible to the naked eye, 720 times less than what was found on Grooverider. And it wasn't in his pocket, it was stuck to his shoe! He could have stepped on it in the street or something. What in the world made them stop him to check in the first place. They sure wouldn't have been able to smell 0.003g on him. And I doubt that the "highly sensitive new equipment" that detected it would have been able to find it merely by him walking through a door or something. I dare say, the fact that he is a Rastafarian probably had something to do with it. By looking at a picture of him (top picture) I am sure many would associate him as someone who "puffs" a bit. But in some countries there are laws against searching someone on that premise alone. I believe the word many have for this is "prejudice". Not saying that this was the case, and many other non blacks have been arrested for similar "offenses", if you can call it that. But 0.003g?

Don't get me wrong. I don't do drugs, never have, don't agree with them. Life is a trip on it's own if you ask me. But if someone can get four years for this, then they can pretty much pin anything on anyone. Are you saying we have to comb ourselves down for possible traces of illegal substances we may have accidentally stepped on in the street before we board any planes? Well, I know what I'm doing, I'm staying at home!

For a list of the what you can and cant take with you to Dubai (drug related) download a copy of the List of Restricted and Controlled Drugs (updated 2006) Be warned the document is 28 pages long, and contains 378 substances. Or you can visit Lonely Planet.com for a bit of information and download it from there.

Picture of shoe sole in top picture from Cool Hunting.com.
Other sources Daily Mail and BBC News.

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Xuehong |02-25-2008 09:01:31 You surely don't look like the kind who do drugs, haha... Reply | Quote

K |02-26-2008 02:54:24 The only drug I do is Advil :) Reply | Quote

Drug rehabilitation |06-25-2008 06:43:39 I don't approve drugs either but still I find it hard to believe myself. Four years in jail for 0.003g? It's a little bit too much. Is this supposed to stop drug dealers from doing "business" in Dubai? Reply | Quote

yassine |09-05-2008 06:19:06 a swear is true, I just left yesterday jail, the gov gave a pardon the 26 of august and ray, groove rider left with me, we were the first group of 5 people who left. Ive been there 8 month, ray 10 Reply | Quote

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