Legendary Radio 1 DJ Grooverider jailed for 4 years over marijuana possession - Polidicks

[release]A Radio 1 DJ has been jailed for four years in Dubai after admitting to possession of cannabis as he entered the country. Grooverider, whose real name is Raymond Bingham, was given the sentence for drug possession in the United Arab Emirates after his lawyers unsuccessfully argued that his ignorance of local laws justified a pardon. The DJ was arrested at Dubai airport on 23 November last year with 2.16g of cannabis in his pocket, which has a street value of about £10, three hours before he was due to play an hour-long set at a show in The Lodge, a nightclub. In court he claimed: "I forgot I had them in my trousers." A BBC spokesman said: "He made a serious mistake and is paying a very heavy price." Though the two-hour show he had co-hosted with Fabio has continued to broadcast on Sundays on Radio 1, Grooverider has not been on air since his arrest. In an interview published while he was in jail, he said: "I just want this to end and to never come back. It was a small amount. Back home I would not even get prosecuted." He is the latest in a long list of Western tourists whose legal indiscretions, whether born of ignorance or not, have led to severe punishment. Earlier this month, Keith Brown, a 43-year-old youth worker from the West Midlands, was jailed for four years after customs officials who stopped him on his way through Dubai airport found a speck of cannabis weighing 0.003g – invisible to the naked eye and lighter than a grain of sugar – on the bottom of his shoe. A 25-year-old Briton who was found with a similarly sized speck as he arrived on holiday has been awaiting sentence since November. Robert Dalton, from Gravesend in Kent, is also likely to receive four years in jail after traces of the illegal drug were found in a small ball of fluff in his pocket. Bert Tatham, a Canadian UN official who advised the Afghanistan government on opium production, was jailed last year for carrying 0.5g of hashish – a form of cannabis – and two poppy seeds. He was later pardoned and deported to Canada. Drugs are strictly outlawed in the Gulf state, which is visited by more than a million Britons every year, many of them of Asian ethnic heritage. Highly sensitive new technology has recently been installed in Dubai airport to enforce the zero-tolerance code. The Foreign Office says that nine British nationals have already been detained in Dubai so far this year, while 57 were detained on drug-related charges last year. Grooverider is likely to be deported after serving his sentence. [/release] [URL]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/radio-1-dj-jailed-for-four-years-in-dubai-on-cannabis-charge-784400.html[/URL] imo, while its incredibly silly to forget you have drugs on you when entering any country, its incredibly harsh that he gets 4 years imprisonment- especially when that guy who threw a baby in a bin got only 1 year

If hes so legendary why havn't I heard of him?

This is just stupid.

[QUOTE=Midas22;33689252]If hes so legendary why havn't I heard of him?[/QUOTE] maybe you havent heard nighttime/early morning radio 1 for the last 15 years

£10 = 4 years in jail Sorry what?

thats just so... lame

[QUOTE=Bobie;33689274]maybe you havent heard nighttime/early morning radio 1 for the last 15 years[/QUOTE] Who even listens to the radio anymore?

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;33689293]Who even listens to the radio anymore?[/QUOTE] I do, infact I have Radio 1 on right now.

[QUOTE=D3vils Buddy;33689300]In the UK you'd get up to 2 years for having that much on you. [/QUOTE] Hahah no you wouldnt the feds would just say "were taking this off you now and you can have a caution ok?"

[quote]Brown, a 43-year-old youth worker from the West Midlands, was jailed for four years after customs officials who stopped him on his way through Dubai airport found a speck of cannabis weighing 0.003g – invisible to the naked eye and lighter than a grain of sugar – on the bottom of his shoe.[/quote] Sucks to be that guy

Providing you're not high while driving or something, I imagine you might not even get a caution, or it taken off you. Depends on the officer really.

[QUOTE=Lukeo;33689278]£10 = 4 years in jail Sorry what?[/QUOTE] He was arrested in Dubai, go figure. This is the same country that arrested someone for having sleeping pills.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;33689420]He was arrested in Dubai, go figure. This is the same country that arrested someone for having sleeping pills.[/QUOTE] I'm suprised they didn't chop off his hands or anything... But i do agree, 4 years for a tenners worth is silly "/

"was jailed for four years after customs officials who stopped him on his way through Dubai airport found a speck of cannabis weighing 0.003g – invisible to the naked eye and lighter than a grain of sugar – on the bottom of his shoe. " so fucking stupid that tiny speck could have come from anywhere thus again proving that religion only causes problems.

Why would you ever want to go to Dubai in the first place?

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;33690135]Why would you ever want to go to Dubai in the first place?[/QUOTE] It's pretty nice here, especially now that it's Winter and the temperature is at it's best.

Never heard of him but... Free DJ Grooverider!!! [QUOTE=Mcfuret;33690076]"was jailed for four years after customs officials who stopped him on his way through Dubai airport found a speck of cannabis weighing 0.003g – invisible to the naked eye and lighter than a grain of sugar – on the bottom of his shoe. " so fucking stupid that tiny speck could have come from anywhere thus again proving that religion only causes problems.[/QUOTE] Your post was great, then you blamed religion Leave

[QUOTE=Mcfuret;33690076]"was jailed for four years after customs officials who stopped him on his way through Dubai airport found a speck of cannabis weighing 0.003g – invisible to the naked eye and lighter than a grain of sugar – on the bottom of his shoe. " so fucking stupid that tiny speck could have come from anywhere thus again proving that religion only causes problems.[/QUOTE] What the fuck does religion have to do with this? Honestly, you people will find any reason to start a religion argument.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;33690288]What the fuck does religion have to do with this? Honestly, you people will find any reason to start a religion argument.[/QUOTE]Because their religion is what made them have such strict rules in the first place?? [editline]12th December 2011[/editline] I mean it's not direct at fault by no means but it certainly ain't helping.

[QUOTE=Lizzrd;33690384]Because their religion is what made them have such strict rules in the first place?? [editline]12th December 2011[/editline] I mean it's not direct at fault by no means but it certainly ain't helping.[/QUOTE] I highly doubt Religion has anything to do with Airport Security.

[QUOTE=Lizzrd;33690384]Because their religion is what made them have such strict rules in the first place?? [editline]12th December 2011[/editline] I mean it's not direct at fault by no means but it certainly ain't helping.[/QUOTE] China executes people for importing drugs, drug laws are messed up in most countries, the UAE just happens to be religious.

3 years late.

[quote]He is the latest in a long list of Western tourists whose legal indiscretions, whether born of ignorance or not, have led to severe punishment. Earlier this month, Keith Brown, a 43-year-old youth worker from the West Midlands, was jailed for four years after customs officials who stopped him on his way through Dubai airport found a speck of cannabis weighing 0.003g – invisible to the naked eye and lighter than a grain of sugar – on the bottom of his shoe.[/quote] Wow I am never going to Dubai.

hmmm [quote=www.independent.co.uk]Wednesday 20 February 2008 [/quote]

[QUOTE=viperfan7;33690704]hmmm[/QUOTE] 6 minutes late

No wonder. It was in dubai, hes lucky they didn't hang him. Edit: Just realized how late this is. If he served his full sentence, then hes nearly out of prison again, making this thread late beyond late.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;33690288]What the fuck does religion have to do with this? Honestly, you people will find any reason to start a religion argument.[/QUOTE] FP tries to be Richard Dawkins. As in, a self-important asshole who just happens to have wrote some books on atheism and evolution. Get some class, kiddos, and read some Pinker or Hitchens.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;33690571][B]China executes people for importing drugs[/B], drug laws are messed up in most countries, the UAE just happens to be religious.[/QUOTE] FYI: [URL="http://www.executedtoday.com/category/where/singapore/"]Singapore does too.[/URL] [URL="http://www.executedtoday.com/2008/09/23/1994-johannes-van-damme-heroin-smuggler/"]They also don't care what nationality the perpetrators are or what their governments have to say about it.[/URL]

[QUOTE=DiBBs27;33690979]No wonder. It was in dubai, hes lucky they didn't hang him. Edit: Just realized how late this is. If he served his full sentence, then hes nearly out of prison again, making this thread late beyond late.[/QUOTE] he got let out the same year he was sentenced if i remember correctly.

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;33689293]Who even listens to the radio anymore?[/QUOTE] Radio 1 is fucking great though. I tune in from time to time.