The UAE has launched a fresh bid to have a man wanted for drugs offences extradited from the UK, according to Gulf News on Friday.
Mohammed Lodhi, 43, was convicted in absentia by the Dubai Court of First Instance in June 1999 on six charges related to the manufacture of the illegal drug, Mandrax, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Pakistani businessman fled the UAE in July 1997 and settled in Singapore, but was arrested at London's Heathrow airport in January 2000 while trying to enter Britain with his wife Tabassum, who was seeking treatment for cervical cancer.
The UAE submitted an extradition request to the UK government which was initially approved at Bow Street Magistrates Court in London last September. Lodhi, who claims he is innocent, successfully appealed against the judgment at the High Court on March 13 and the UAE was denied the right of appeal against the ruling.
But a fresh extradition request has now been made by the UAE and the case has returned to Bow Street Magistrates Court, effectively starting the process all over again, said the paper.
Lodhi's solicitor, Peter Binning, said his client had been rearrested by the British police and granted bail to reappear in court on April 25.
He said extradition requests are not trials so it is legally possible for a person to face a new hearing on the same charges. "The requested state has to see if there's enough evidence against the person for an extradition to take place," he said. "It's extremely unusual for a person to be rearrested to face a second extradition request for the same allegations, although it has happened twice before."
Binning said the British Home Secretary or the Home Office will have to say whether the case against Lodhi is to proceed and, assuming it is, a date will be set on April 25 for a new hearing into the UAE request.
Although not a narcotics-producing nation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains a transshipment point for illegal narcotics. This is due to its geographical location near the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Gulf, as well as its role as a "free-trade" zone and regional hub for international air travel. While no comprehensive statistics are available, unofficial sources indicate that illicit drug trafficking and usage are on the rise – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
