British visitors travelling to Dubai have been warned that they face the risk of arrest if they are found to have had any drinks on the flight over.
The shock new warning from British consular officials in the United Arab Emirates comes via a Facebook post after a mum was jailed after she drank a glass of wine on a flight to Dubai from the UK.
Dr Ellie Holman was locked up for three days and spent over a month under house arrest before the ruler of the Arab kingdom intervened and set her free.
She claimed her arrest came after being asked if she had consumed any alcohol on the flight from the UK.
British officials in the UAE posted this picture to Facebook along with a detailed warning
Dr Holman was arrested in Dubai and thrown into a ‘baking hot and foul smelling’ detention centre
Less than a month after her release, a posting on the Facebook page for the British Consul in the UAE states that having alcohol in your blood can lead to arrest.
The warning has been posted for expats living in the UAE.
But the NGO Detained in Dubai said it also applies to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the destination each year and are served alcohol on fights.
The British Foreign Office advice does not distinguish between expats and tourists but instead is a blanket warning that having alcohol in the bloodstream is an offence in the Muslim country and could lead to arrest.
Previous advice from the Foreign Office warned that anyone found drunk in public in the UAE could be arrested.
Detained in Dubai said they believe it is the first time such a warning has ever been posted by the British Consul.
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