Dubai: India has warned its nationals visiting the UAE against carrying prohibited medicines to the Gulf nation to avoid "landing on the wrong side of the law". The directive against carrying prohibited medicines to UAE came from the Indian ambassador in the country after the arrest of an Indian national at Abu Dhabi International Airport last month, for carrying nine small stamps of psychedelic drug lysergic acid diethylamide or (LSD). According to Indian Embassy officials at least six Indians are serving jail terms in UAE for carrying banned drugs. "This point cannot be reiterated enough. Indians who travel to the UAE should carefully check the dos and donts we have listed on the embassy's website while carrying medicines," Indian ambassador, T P Seetharam said. "We keep talking about the issue time and again. But people are still landing on the wrong side of the law by bringing banned medicines," he was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.

Seetharam said that most Indian expatriates prefer to buy medicines in India and bring them to UAE as they find it cheaper back home, but many of them end up in jail due to ignorance. The embassy has also listed a detailed nine-point guideline on its website for bringing medicines and drugs in the country. The list gives details of prohibited drugs, as well as the permissible quantity of certain drugs that can be brought into the country. Patients can bring a maximum three-month supply if the medicine is not available in UAE provided they obtain the prior approval of the Drug Control Department. The advisory also warns Indians against bringing poppy seeds, which is strictly banned in UAE, as well as qat leaf, betel leaf or nuts, niswar and gutka. A 31-year-old Indian was jailed last month for four years for smuggling and possessing 102.5 grams of poppy seeds which he claimed he had brought to use in cooking.