An Israeli citizen in her 20s, who has been living in Dubai for the past few years, was arrested last week by local police after a blood test found traces of cocaine in her bloodstream. The Israeli, originally from Ashkelon but working in a medical device business in Dubai, said during the investigation that she took psychiatric pills with a doctor's approval, due to deep depression after breaking up with her partner.
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The blood tests were conducted on the Israeli after she collapsed in a local restaurant in Dubai and was taken to the hospital. After traces of cocaine were found in her bloodstream, she was taken to a police station, where she was detained for five days, during which she underwent lengthy interrogations. She claimed that she did not use drugs, and was finally released on bail but was forbidden to leave the country.
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The Israeli woman who sat in detention in Dubai for five days after traces of cocaine were found in her bloodstream
"My heart was broken because of unrequited love," the Israeli told Ynet. "I took psychiatric pills and wanted to kill myself. This caused my breakdown in the restaurant and from there everything got complicated. I try to explain to them that I don't use drugs but they don't believe me."
The authorities apparently intend to deport the woman from the United Arab Emirates, which could greatly harm her livelihood.
"I really don't want to be kicked out of Dubai and it's not necessary because I do good things for the people here. I'm just a very positive person who got into trouble," she said.
Attorney Mordechai Tzivin, who is assisting the Israeli woman, said that "This is a rare case of innocence. There is no drug trade here. My client is not well. I thank the law enforcement authorities for considering her situation, and for believing her testimony and releasing her on bail. I can say with certainty from experience that the judicial system in the Emirates meets a high level of proper procedure without bias, and the standards of human rights are no less than what is customary in Western countries."