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Indians Jailed For Life In UAE For Taking ’Banned’ Painkiller Seek Mercy

Jagtial, Telangana:  When Lakshmi Motam despatched 20 tramadol drugs from her village to her husband, a labourer  in Dubai, she did not realise the ache reduction capsules would land him in prison.

Tramadol, a man-made opioid painkiller that her husband used for his aches and pains was once amongst just about 400 drugs the United Arab Emirates banned in 2010 for his or her addictive nature.

“He worked as a coolie and often asked me to send the medicine. This was the third time I sent the tablets to him. They were for his personal use,” Ms Motam advised information company Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Lakshmi Motam’s husband has been jailed for existence in Dubai for unknowingly taking a banned painkiller

The medication, readily to be had in India for not up to eight rupees a pill, final yr landed her 35-year-old husband with a 24-year prison sentence (existence imprisonment in UAE).

“Before, he would call every day, and wire money home every few months. I wire him money now so that he can call us,” she stated. “He calls once in two months. He was crying on the phone the last time we spoke.”

Migrant staff in Gulf states, regularly to find themselves in a cycle of poverty and ache – they installed lengthy hours within the searing warmth after which pop painkillers to stay going and make sure their wages aren’t docked.

Lured by way of unlawful brokers with the promise of a loose price ticket to Dubai, or a well-paying task, many to find themselves taking the drugs to the Gulf of their baggage, blind to the truth that they’re breaking the regulation.

Tramadol is described by way of the World Health Organisation as a “relatively safe analgesic”, however is banned in more than a few portions of the arena.

The pain-killer is the commonest unlawful drugs smuggled into the UAE the place it’s broadly utilized by leisure customers, in keeping with native media experiences. The medication’s unlawful industry has ended in strict tests and critical punishments, campaigners stated.

Many migrant staff from India, who had been stuck the use of the drugs or in ownership of it within the Gulf are serving phrases in jail.

“Most of these people (caught with the medicine) are poor and illiterate. They are unskilled and come to UAE with big dreams,” stated Anuradha Vobbiliselty, an recommend in Dubai who offers with circumstances of Indians jailed for sporting the drugs.

“Tramadol is the most common banned drug found on Indians who have sought legal help from me.”

AWAITING A MIRACLE

Srinu Pusula spent his youth grazing sheep and stepped out of his village Tadpakal in Telangana for the primary time 8 years in the past when he boarded a flight to Dubai to paintings as a labourer. He visited India final yr when he were given married.

Before he left house, his agent gave his new spouse a packet of medications he stated Pusula should ship to his relative in Dubai. She packed them in his bag and forgot to say it to her husband.

Pusula was once arrested at Dubai airport for sporting part a kilogram of tramadol and convicted in September and sentenced to seven years in jail.

“We built this house with our son’s earnings. We never had power supply before. Now we do,” Srinu’s mom Posani Pusala, 55, advised the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Her best hope now’s a mercy petition Indian activists in Dubai will record on November 15.

“Agents are running the racket and targeting labourers,” stated Krishna Donekeni, founding father of Gulf Workers Awareness Centre by way of telephone from Dubai.

Mr Donekeni has met Pusula a couple of instances and lobbied officers on the Indian embassy in Dubai about his case.

“He is young, and away from his family. He hasn’t seen his child who was born after he left. He is scared,” Mr Donekeni stated.

Another migrant rights activist, Bhim Reddy, stated Pusula is the 3rd particular person from Jagtial district who has been convicted in a drug case within the final 3 years.

LITTLE HOPE

Ms Vobbiliselty has handled a minimum of six circumstances of Indians arrested for the use of, promoting or possessing tramadol drugs, and observed each and every case finish with a sentence of seven years to as much as 24 years, which is existence imprisonment in UAE.

“India is not doing anything for this problem. Migrant protection officers in India or even immigration officials do not warn workers against carrying this medicine,” Ms Vobbiliselty stated.

Officials in India’s overseas ministry stated lend a hand in drug and alcohol use circumstances is tricky as UAE has very strict regulations on them.

“But our consular officers meet them (those arrested in drug cases) and suggest names of empanelled lawyers to fight their cases in the labour court,” stated MC Luther, India’s protector normal of emigrants.

Mr Luther stated migrant staff going via government-authorised employment brokers are given pre-departure coaching the place they’re urged towards sporting the banned drugs.

But a sizeable choice of staff undergo unlawful brokers and do not know in regards to the drugs they can’t raise or use.

A spokesperson of the UAE embassy in New Delhi stated deficient and illiterate migrant staff are entitled to loose felony help.

Ms Motam, whose husband is in a Dubai prison, is aware of the street forward is tricky.

She has met more than a few ministers, together with Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, to plead her husband’s case.

“When he left for Dubai, I thought our life would improve with his earnings. But now I roll 600 beedis for 70 rupees every day. That is our only source of income,” she stated.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, she touches the toes of somebody – activist, journalist, village elder – who visits her, mumbling: “Please help me.”