# Filipina gets 25 years in jail for 0.08 gramme of mind-affecting substance!



## Guest (Jan 17, 2009)

> A Filipina visitor will spend 25 years in prison before being deported after a court found her guilty of trying to sell 0.08 gramme of a mind-affecting substance to an anti-narcotics police informant.


Uhh... ouch! That's a mind scare that will never leave her mind!

Gulfnews: Visitor gets 25 years for selling drugs


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

She'll be out at the next amnesty, or maybe the one after.


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## dash567 (Nov 5, 2008)

JoeyDee said:


> Uhh... ouch! That's a mind scare that will never leave her mind!
> 
> Gulfnews: Visitor gets 25 years for selling drugs


What was the mind-affecting drug I wonder to merit sooo many years!?  Interesting choice of words tho as a mind-affecting substance could be anything from coffee up...


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## gearhead (Jan 6, 2009)

very sad indeed.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

It may seem extreme to many, but is a salient reminder of the law here. Don't break it and you won't have a problem. 


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## Easy Rider (Oct 23, 2008)

Elphaba said:


> It may seem extreme to many, but is a salient reminder of the law here. Don't break it and you won't have a problem.
> 
> 
> -


Ah, the old "Just stick to the rules, if you don't like them, just leave, etc."

The law might say something that is just plain stupid and inhumane. In this case, the sentence is absolutely ridiculous, cruel and inhumane! The fact that she probably won't do the full term doesn't make it right.

I mean, what can of person are you (please note it's generic "you" and I'm not pointing at Elphaba in particular) if you don't agree that this sentence is insane and a disgrace to morality and human rights? 25 years! Come on!


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2009)

Well, we could always look at the other extreme, here in South Africa, the bail for murder is around R500(around 180AED, but sometimes you get 5 years, out in 1) and most of these people are repeat offenders, because seriously, they make so much money, 1 years in jail or R500, no problem.

So from my point of view, laws should be tough, but you will not find a happy medium where everyone agrees


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## Easy Rider (Oct 23, 2008)

Well I'm not against tough punishments in general. For instance if the lady in question had been the head of a large international drug smuggling network, I'd say she'd deserved it. Same goes for murder, rapists, etc. But it clearly isn't the case here...the sentence is disproportionate.


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

But surely whichever country you live in, you have to live to their rules.

And the sentence for SELLING (not in possession) but SELLING illegal drugs here is life/25 years.

For having them on your person (possesion) it's 4, for having a significant amount with intent to supply it's 7.

For possesion, they're usually released at the next amnesty, for intent to supply they usually do 1-2 years and then released, for pushing/selling, they usually do 7 years and are then released, all with lifetime bans.

The fact that this lasy had such a small amount on her will probably mean she's do a year and then be released.

The fact is she was caught red handed trying to sell illegal narcotics in this country.

Let me repeat that SHE WAS CAUGHT RED HANDED TRYING TO SELL ILLEGAL NARCOTICS IN THIS COUNTRY.

Sorry, she deserves it.


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## Easy Rider (Oct 23, 2008)

Methamphetamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A quick link to the definition of the illegal drug in question. Could I land in jail if I had some Vicks in my pharmacy here?


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

Ignorance is not an excuse...

And from your link...



> Methamphetamine has the potential to cause addiction. An addiction to methamphetamine typically occurs when a person begins to use the drug as a stimulant, because of its enhancing effects on pleasure and sex, alertness and ability to concentrate. Over time, however, the effectiveness decreases, and users find that they need to take higher doses to get the same results; also that they have great difficulty functioning effectively without the drug. Common nicknames for methamphetamine include "crank", "meth", "ice", "crystal", "tina", "glass", "P"[3],"shabu" or "syabu" (Philippines), and "yaa baa" (Thailand). Methamphetamine is sometimes referred to as "speed", but this term is usually used for regular amphetamine or dextroamphetamine.


So she was selling "meth" or "ice" or, as GN states "Syabu". That's not good.


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## Easy Rider (Oct 23, 2008)

Andy Capp said:


> So she was selling "meth" or "ice". That's not good.


Yes, probably, and I'm not trying to find her excuses. I'm just saying that (a) because of the perversity of some laws here someone could end up in jail for owning some Vicks -this has already been the case with people caught in posession of some sleeping pills or codein based over the counter drugs (think Tylenol, etc.)- and that (b) just because she was selling this deadly **** doesn't morally justify 25 years in jail regardless of what the law says.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

Easy Rider said:


> Yes, probably, and I'm not trying to find her excuses. I'm just saying that (a) because of the perversity of some laws here someone could end up in jail for owning some Vicks -this has already been the case with people caught in posession of some sleeping pills or codein based over the counter drugs (think Tylenol, etc.)- and that (b) just because she was selling this deadly **** doesn't morally justify 25 years in jail regardless of what the law says.


This is not the same as having a prescription drug. Codeine is banned in the UAE and is certainly not available over the counter. It may be a small quantity but apparently there was intent to supply.

Your 'morality' is not the same of that of the UAE. The laws here are very clear and yes, in this case it is about if you can't live with it, then live elsewhere. Mind you so far as I am aware, dealing is an offence just about everywhere in the world.

I'd also suggest that if you want to get het up about immoral issues then there are more pressing and important issues, such as the treatment of indentured labour...


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## Easy Rider (Oct 23, 2008)

Elphaba said:


> (...)
> Your 'morality' is not the same of that of the UAE.
> -


Well, yes, there might be some truth in that statement. Not sure whether the comparison is fully in my disadvantage -or in my advantage- though.



Elphaba said:


> I'd also suggest that if you want to get het up about immoral issues then there are more pressing and important issues, such as the treatment of indentured labour...-


Absolutely and I don't see any contradiction between the two issues. I can find it inhumane that someone is put in jail for 25 years for posession and sale of a small quantity of narcotics AND be against the modern days slavery rife in this part of the World.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Andy Capp said:


> But surely whichever country you live in, you have to live to their rules.
> 
> And the sentence for SELLING (not in possession) but SELLING illegal drugs here is life/25 years.
> 
> ...


Blimey Andy, I find myself agreeing with something you have said.


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## Ramin (Dec 31, 2008)

Easy Rider said:


> The fact that she probably won't do the full term doesn't make it right.


if she held an EU passport or an American one she would probably be out in a few weeks maybe months time. as a Filipino i think she will be spending a few years in prison.


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

ABSOLUTE BOLLOCKS RAMIN

You have no idea, there are 15 UK guysTHAT I KNOW OF (C/O British Embassy) doing between 4 and 25 years here.

You're talking SH1T.

AGAIN


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## Ramin (Dec 31, 2008)

oh i am talking sh!t again ey? (btw you keep count of what i say in here and judge whats crap and what aint?)

Free Diz - get Cat Le-Huy out of prison in Dubai



> Around the 25th of February, the Prince appointed an heir and on that occasion released 216 prisoners one of which was Keith Brown. All the best to him, he was robbed of 5 months of his life.
> 
> 
> One of the very high profile cases in 2006 was that of Dallas Austin. He was caught in possession of roughly one gram of Cocaine and his urine tested positive for drugs.....he was deported on the day of his sentencing. The same day he got sentenced to 4 years in prison, he got deported back to the states. Apparently a senator in the states had the right connections


I have entered the UAE quite a few times on my IRanian passport, and also on my German passport. I could totally sense that as a German I was given a much better treatment on arrival than as an Iranian. Also after being pulled over by the cops a few times and having told them that i am not an Arab and dont speak Arabic, i could definitely feel their tone becoming unfriendly. But after showing them my german passport they became all friendly and relaxed again. 

So dont tell me that the govt here treats all foreigners the same ok!!

you really think that a Brit would spend 25 years in prison here? yeah right!!


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

What i said was, that your assumption that western passport holders get treated better is incorrect. the fact that Dallas Austin was pardoned had more to do with the fact that he was "famous" rather than anything else, he was not deported on the day of his sentance but was kept here for another week in a police station until the arrangements had been made - what about the Pakistani cricketer? Same situation.

Nobody spends their full term in prison here, they automatically get a 25% reduction for good behaviour. For drugs cases they get released after a given time as i stated earlier, for 4 years its within a year and usually at the next amnesty, with 7 years it's around 2 years, with 25 years its usually between 5 and 7 years.
That's ALL nationalities. You might also be interested toi know that most of the drugs cases are either Persian (Iraq/Iran/Afghan) or Pakistani, and that includes UK pakistanis.

Get the chip off your shoulder, as I mentioned to another forum member earlier, advice is great, just make sure it's accurate.

Get it?


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## Ramin (Dec 31, 2008)

oh i didnt know people were "Seeking advice" about what the govt of Dubai does to people who break their drug laws. my apologizes to all the drug addicts and smugglers in here for giving you inaccurate "advice".

another thing which i find quite strange in here is that a lot of regular members act as if they are mods in here. so even if i was giving out false advice (as if all foreigners are treated equally in UAE!), what gives you the right to say that i am"talking sh!t again"?

also mr. know it all, Iraqis and Afghans are NOT Persians!!!


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## mr.alsuwaidi (Dec 3, 2008)

Ramin, I will agree with Andy Capp


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## bigdave (Oct 22, 2008)

ahhhhh who has some maryjane so I can try it out in my new sweet sheesha.. lol jk


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

Ramin said:


> also mr. know it all, Iraqis and Afghans are NOT Persians!!!


Thanks for that, glad you appreciate me...

As for Persians, I did know that, that was why I said it, to wind you up....

Heartless aren't I...


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## Andrew Farrant (Feb 9, 2009)

Guys, as I newbie I will probably get shot down for a strong opinion but if a foreigner comes to live in my country (England) I EXPECT them to abide by OUR laws - it is OUR country, MY country - if they don't like it they can go home.

The quid pro quo of course is that if we / I go to THEIR country, then WE / I have to abide by THEIR laws and respect their culture - if we don't like it, simple - we go home.

I tried to show respect in a Buddhist temple in Thailand by taking off my shoes, kneeling and lighting incense to Buddha, after all, they had been gracious enough to allow me into their holiest of places - when challenged as to whether I was a Buddhist or not, (obviously I am not), as soon as the Thais knew I was TRYING to be respectful they were incredibly charming and kind even if I inadvertantly made mistakes. They opened the whole of their temple to me, even restricted areas.

I will attempt to do the right thing when I move to Dubai (hopefully soon) but there is no way selling Meth is an inadvertant mistake. It is illegal all over the world and it kills people. She took a risk, knowing the penalty for getting caught and lost. No point moaning about it - she should not have been selling chemical death in the first place and it is downright STUPID to do it in a country with such strong anti drug laws.

Please don't throw stuff TOO hard, I am new here


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## bubble_boy (May 28, 2008)

Well said Andrew Farrant. I agree completely.


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