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article submitted by geoblaze. travelers to the united arab emirates are being warned about its severe drug laws which have seen dozens detained for apparently minor offenses. fair trials international said arrests were being made over tiny quantities of drugs and over-the-counter medicines. fair trials, a legal charity, said it has seen a steep rise in such cases. possession of painkillers like codeine and some cold and flu medication could result in a mandatory four-year prison sentence, fair trials international said. in one of the most extreme cases, it reported a man being held after poppy seeds from a bread roll were found on his clothes. in recent years, chic hotels, skyscrapers and golden beaches have turned dubai and abu dhabi into popular tourist destinations. many have no idea what risks they're taking or their vulnerability to this very strict approach catherine wolthuizen, fair trials international chief executive businesses too have flocked to the uae, which promises a high standard of living because of its oil wealth. however, while it is considered one of the most liberal countries in the gulf, the muslim country's drugs laws are severe. last year, 59 britons were arrested in the uae on drugs-related charges, according to the foreign office. catherine wolthuizen, chief executive of fair trials international, said customs authorities were using highly sensitive new equipment to conduct thorough searches on travelers. "so many people now travel to dubai and, as we're seeing, many have no idea what risks they're taking or their vulnerability to this very strict approach," she said. "if they find any amount - no matter how minute - it will be enough to attract a mandatory four-year prison sentence. "what many travelers may not realize is that they can be deemed to be in possession of such banned substances if they can be detected in their urine or bloodstream, or even in tiny, trace amounts on their person." aside from illegal substances, travelers have also been held for possession of prescription drugs. fair trials international has published a full list of banned substances on its website. the foreign office is advising all travelers carrying any prescription drugs to take a doctor's letter detailing exactly why they need the medicine and the exact dose. the uae embassy in london said it would not comment at this stage. held in the uae (according to fair trials) *keith brown, 43, middlesex: four-year jail term for possession of 0.003g of cannabis *robert dalton, 25, kent: on trial for alleged possession of 0.03g of cannabis *20-year-old, west yorkshire: on trial for alleged possession of 0.02g of cannabis *tracy wilkinson, 45, west sussex: held in custody for eight weeks for possession of codeine before release *swiss national: four-year jail term after poppy seeds found on his clothes read more - source fair trials list
