A British Chef wrongly spent 19 months in a Dubai jail on drug trafficking charges after cops misinterpreted a text to book a table.
The 43-year-old restauranteur, Luke Tully was sent a message by a dealer he knew requesting a table for ten people. Cops however mistakenly believed it was a coded request for 10g of cocaine, when they seized the supplier and his phone.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&us_privacy=1—&client=ca-pub-2427099653703778&output=html&h=300&adk=2141876619&adf=1192721092&pi=t.aa~a.1834861711~i.11~rp.4&w=360&lmt=1634545905&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4779063894&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=360×300&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lindaikejisblog.com%2F2021%2F10%2Fbritish-chef-wrongly-spends-19-months-in-dubai-jail-after-cops-misinterpreted-a-text-sent-to-him-to-book-a-table.html&flash=0&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=275&rw=330&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChAI8La0iwYQ-NrSu4rrhdYnEjkAWeCXc_VEu8S_nGC9M4QpqPhpJFuscOi5He4pfYHusxObEfpOOkcHf6j_QN_bAiJWhZLnMBA6Thk&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiOSIsIiIsIkluZmluaXggWDY1MEIiLCI5Mi4wLjQ1MTUuMTE1IixbXSxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbF0.&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hdHRlc3RhdGlvbi5hbmRyb2lkLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjo3fV0.&dt=1634545905100&bpp=21&bdt=6591&idt=-M&shv=r20211013&mjsv=m202110080101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D6f62d75ac2f0c0c6-2251d019a8c80035%3AT%3D1622665487%3ART%3D1622665487%3AS%3DALNI_MZ85Ep3SvTaGfc8Juk8Onrd6Hwi6g&prev_fmts=0x0%2C360x300&nras=3&correlator=7480080111117&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1187515804.1622665486&ga_sid=1634545902&ga_hid=1187490840&ga_fc=0&u_tz=60&u_his=5&u_h=800&u_w=360&u_ah=800&u_aw=360&u_cd=24&adx=0&ady=1220&biw=360&bih=616&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=31063044%2C31063046%2C42531330%2C21067496&oid=2&psts=AGkb-H-IDDc-iQQXQBVhXJ0TGSnFseT2roBDN_k-Zn1lmgHaBj0EVJrV6EWHwQYDR1tY7FSmWbNQ5tR2wJM&pvsid=460971126130037&pem=777&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lindaikejisblog.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C360%2C0%2C360%2C616%2C360%2C616&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=1152&bc=31&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=xjkRieQPxa&p=https%3A//www.lindaikejisblog.com&dtd=493
Luke alleged that officers threatened to throw him off a balcony unless he “told them where the drugs were”.
The Sun reported that the father-of-four and his two friends were released in August by a judge due to lack of evidence, but prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates are appealing against the decision.
Luke, who spent £150,000 on legal fees, is now back home in Bishop’s Stortford, Herts. In a message to Brits planning to visit the UAE, he said: “Don’t bother if you value your liberty.”
