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The Federal Supreme Court ruled in a case originating in Ajman that the appeals court had erred by cancelling a Dh30000 fine imposed on a resident convicted of consuming psychotropic substances and ordering his deportation instead. According to the supreme court decision the deportation order was revoked while the lower court’s financial penalty was upheld in full. The resident had been charged with using methamphetamine and pregabalin for a second time in addition to tropicamide a substance that harms the mind and central nervous system according to a criminal laboratory report cited by the court.
In its ruling published on October 10 2026 the Federal Supreme Court accepted the appeal formally and partially overturned the contested judgment. The top court corrected the appeals decision by eliminating the portion that substituted deportation for the fine and affirmed the initial conviction carrying the Dh30000 penalty. It rejected the appeal on all remaining points and directed the return of any insurance amount paid during proceedings.
The Federal Supreme Court affirmed that UAE law does not permit substituting a fine for deportation. A court assessment found that judicial authority on such matters is confined to custodial sentences for misdemeanours and does not cover financial penalties. The ruling emphasised that a fine constitutes a primary penalty while deportation represents a distinct legal measure that the appeals judgment had failed to differentiate properly.
The Federal Supreme Court examined Article 75 of the Law on Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances as amended by Federal Decree-Law No 14 of 2025. The provision requires deportation of foreigners convicted under the law but identifies specific exemption cases Gulf News reported when the amendments were announced in December 2025. Those changes which took effect on January 1 2026 generally mandate deportation following completion of any sentence except where the offender is a spouse or first-degree relative of a UAE citizen or where removal would seriously destabilise a family in the country provided the family can cover treatment costs.
Similar Federal Supreme Court decisions in recent months have upheld prison terms and subsequent deportation for individuals convicted of consuming psychotropic substances including a September 2026 Abu Dhabi case in which two suspects each received three-month sentences followed by deportation after the court rejected an appeal on organised gang charges according to reports in The Gulf Today. The current verdict involving a resident born in the UAE illustrates the boundaries on penalty substitution even as the amended legislation maintains strict deportation rules for most foreign nationals. Public prosecution data referenced in multiple narcotics rulings show such cases frequently involve repeat offences with methamphetamine and related compounds.
