Is it really true that Codeine is illegal in UAE?

[amdt57]

I will be flying through Dubai from England to India shortly. We will be in transit in Dubai for a few hours only, never leaving the airport.

I have read on the Emirates airline website that drug laws are strict - fine, no problem with that.

However, I normally carry headache tablets in my suitcase which are Paracetamol & Codeine. According to the link from the website Codeine is a "Controlled drug". Obviously I won't have a prescription, as this is a medicine you can buy in any supermarket in the UK, so what exactly are the rules?

Am I liable for jail, or just to get the tablets confiscated. They will be in my checked baggage, but I guess they may use sniffer dogs or whatever on the hold baggage.

Anyone know what the rules really are?

Thanks.

[vemados]

Hi There! I am American and I live in Dubai. Its really hot here :O
Anyways, yes. It's illegal.
Watch out when travelling to Dubai. That bread roll you had at Heathrow, or the anti-hayfever pills or cough medicine you just bought at Boots, might get you an unexpected extended stay in Dubai, courtesy of the local constabulary. While the information on this page relates to Dubai, expect it to be the same or similar in other Emirates. According to the UK Foreign Office, 59 Britons were arrested on drug related charges in the UAE in 2007.

Dubai and the UAE are very strict when it comes to illegal drugs / narcotics and have a zero-tolerance policy. The standard minimum jail sentence for possession is 4 years and some high profile names have been caught at the airport. The number of drug cases increased sharply in 2007 and 2008, possibly as a result of the increasing population of Dubai but also because the Dubai customs officials at Dubai airport have more sophisticated equipment that can detect minute quantities of drugs.


Prescription drugs legal in some countries (codeine etc.) can get you thrown in jail in Dubai if you can't show a prescription.

You need a prescription. Or get a codeine-free substance.(Ask your pharmacist.)

[nann]

Codiene is an opiate and is illegal in the UAE trying to take it into the country could result in a very difficult situation. For the duration of your holiday I would just switch to a different painkiller with no codiene in it, any pharmacy will be able to help you to select a suitable codiene free alternative.