Job Discussion Forums

[tmac-100]

As the Blimey!! thread was bolcked, I sent a PM to the fellow who asked if it was an urban myth and it was NOT!!

The Canadian was working for the UN or some NGO in Afghanistan and it seems he did not sanitize himself well enough. He also had some materials that are illegal in the UAE - bringing back dried poppy bulbs (as props for his talks to high school students in British Columbia) I think, as well as several poppie seeds.

The dogs sniffed him out in Dubai where he stopped to buy an engagement ring and wedding band at the Gold Souk.

Sent to jail and lost an appeal. A Sheikh forgave him during the December Eid and he returned to Canada - hopefully his fiance was still waiting for him.

Do a Google search on google.ca using the words - Canadian released jail Dubai - and you will come up with a bunch of things.

The Globe and Mail site is good as is the National Post. There may be something on the CBC as I remember listening to the interview of his Mom.

So, beware... and follow UAE laws

[mishmumkin]

I still don't know that I buy that story...at least not the reason for bringing it back. He thought he could pass customs in Canada w/ that stuff? Come on...

[tmac-100]

IF you have read the National Post and Globe and Mail, you know his name, and that he is from British Columbia. Reading enough articles will give you where he lives (place in BC). You might try to find his telephone number via www.canada411.com IF you do, why not call him up and put your fears to rest. Seriously do the investigation - especially instead of just hypothesizing here and stating your feelings - after all truth is often strangert than fiction.

Secondly, as for the Blimey!! OP here is an interesting link:
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Police_and_The_Courts/10227898.html...

[mishmumkin]

I can honestly say that I don't care enough to do any research. I simply stated my opinion. Someone who picks up poppies and brings them back to the home country for educational use and thinks s/he's going to clear customs? He's either lying about why he had them or he's just really, really stupid.

[veiledsentiments]

I would say that this thread proves that the story that someone was jailed for "having one poppy seed stuck on his shoe" or the other version that I heard that there was one seed in his pocket - are not accurate and are beginning to verge on urban legend.

He pulled something stupid, got caught, and paid for it. Who would be foolish enough to take poppy buds from country to country??

VS

[redeyes]

Tmac, thanks for the link -- just to say, I wasn't doubting what you said -- I was doubting the much circulated version of the story I repeatedly heard ( bread roll poppy seeds stuck on his shoe ) , which as VS points out, seems to have entered the realm of Urban Myth.


As MM and others point out, the real version of events is a very strange tale indeed, because clearly, the guy was a seasoned professional working in a conventional government profession ( albeit one related to drugs ), and he obviously knew what working in Muslim countries entailed -- and yet he was foolish enough to try to go through customs with poppy heads ( not the bread roll seeds of popular myth ) and even had hash in his jeans, albeit a small amount.


I can only guess that the guy, who knew all the restrictions/severity of what he was doing and yet still did it -- must have been going through some weird states of mind after his time in Afghanistan. Some kind of mental disturbance perhaps.


A strange story indeed.

[tmac-100]

When the story broke I was near/in the ME, and telephoned a close friend of mine with the Dept. of Justice in Ottawa. Unfortunately, it (the jailing and the situation) was true from the Canadian gov't perspective. There was no way they could intervene with the UAE justice system - and they were also unfamiliar with it. Naturally Canadians were outraged and Canadian media played that up - but, to no avail. Canadians and my friend simply did not understand why the fellow was arrested, convicted, and jailed (without due process - a western term). But, what can anyone expect when they live (and are trained) under "common law" principles.

Which only shows me that:
1. Truth can be stranger than fiction.
2. Common sense is not all that common.
3. While you can drink an ugly person pretty, BUT you can never drink a dumb person/activity into a smart one.

[mandalayroad]

So he brought in entire poppy heads from Afghanistan (the heroin/opium capital of the world), not just one seed under his shoe from a piece of bread...

[mistral]

Wrong again folks. Many people do it. Sniffer dogs are rarely used in Kabul. $20 will get you on the plane without any baggage checks. Kabul flights don't land at Dubai's main airport. Terminal II is a separate airport for "Inshala" airlines and the like. There are no dogs used there either. Anyting shrink-wrapped gets through anyway.

[tmac-100]

I have sent several PM responses but I still do NOT understand why travellers in "another" country fugure that they can behave as if they are in "their country"

Common sense IS NOT that common...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7498357.stm