The UAE News report: A visitor who was caught at Dubai Airport with a large amount of marijuana claimed he thought it was a packet of bananas.

The man was referred to court where he claimed that a compatriot had given him the bag — supposedly containing bananas — to deliver to a person in the UAE, in exchange for paying his travel expenses and helping him find work in the UAE.

According to a local Arabic daily, the Dubai Criminal Court was not convinced by the man’s claim and sentenced him to 10 years in prison and fine of Dh50,000.

The African national had arrived at Terminal 3 at Dubai Airport last November. While scanning his luggage, customs officers noticed items of suspicious density in the bags.

The inspectors found two large packages containing a herbal substance, which was later proven to be marijuana.

The accused denied knowledge about the drugs and claimed that a person in his country had asked him to deliver two bags that contained bananas to another person in Dubai. He denied any knowledge that they contained drugs.