A 35-year-old Filipina woman's luggage was flagged during a routine screening at Dubai International Airport on December 15, 2024. Inside were 20 vape cartridges holding about 20 grams of cannabis extract, hidden in packages of pancake mix.
In March 2025, a Dubai criminal court sentenced her to 10 years in prison, a fine of 100,000 dirhams and deportation after her sentence. The court rejected her claim that she did not know what was in the bags.
In September 2025, the Dubai Court of Appeal reversed that ruling. It found there was not enough proof that she knowingly imported or possessed the substance, annulled the conviction and acquitted her. The seized material was confiscated. The report does not say whether the deportation order still applies.
Why it matters: A first ruling can be severe, and this case shows how much can turn on whether a court accepts that someone did not know what was in the bag. She is not named in the report.
Source: Gulf News, 2025-09-15. Forgotten Prisoner's account is based on this reporting. An arrest or charge is not proof of guilt.