Asif was detained in Dubai for possessing opium
Mohammad Asif cannot re-enter UAE after being deported from Dubai last year for possession of an opium substance weighing 0.24 grams, documents with Cricinfo have confirmed
Cricinfo staff
11-Jan-2009
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Mohammad Asif has been barred from entering the UAE after being deported from Dubai last year for possession of an opium substance weighing 0.24 grams, according to documents available with Cricinfo.
PCB officials of the time had revealed the nature of the substance, but
court and police documents now finally confirm the details. Asif was
caught with the substance in his wallet at Dubai airport on June 1, 2008
when travelling back to Pakistan after competing in the Indian Premier
League. He was detained for 19 days before being released.
The documents also shed light on the conclusion of the case, revealing
that the public prosecutor advocated not filing criminal charges based on
several factors: "that the accused was arrested at Dubai airport before
being able to actually enter the state, the trifle amount of the drug, the
serious consequence of putting him on trial and enforcing a judgment
against him, and for the sake of avoiding pressures on courts and
prisons."
Asif's urine sample taken at the airport was negative, however, putting to
rest much speculation that Asif was intoxicated at the airport. But during
an interrogation with two investigators, Asif said he did not know of the
nature of the substance, thinking it to be a herbal remedy and said he
used it to boost his blood pressure and energy levels.
"I started using it once every year, one small piece each time when
necessary," the interview records Asif as saying.
Asked if he knew what the substance was, Asif replied: "A herbal dark
substance found with me which I use for energy ... to reduce blood pressure
and gain energy. I have obtained it from one of the public curers in Pakistan."
Asif acknowledged that he last used the substance in Pakistan four
months before the case. The sample was tested in a laboratory in Dubai and
it was confirmed that the substance Asif carried in his wallet was 0.24
grams of opium.
"I did not intend to bring it to the country and I don't know whether it
is a narcotic drug or otherwise and I don't know whether it is prohibited
in the UAE or not," Asif told the investigators.
Though Asif is currently suspended from all cricket by the PCB - he is
facing a separate inquiry for a positive steroid test at the IPL - there
are repercussions for his future appearances for Pakistan in the
prosecutor's order against him.
The attorney general deported Asif and had his name put on a list of
prohibited names who cannot enter the UAE. "The concerned authorities in
the CID should be notified to take all the necessary actions to deport the
accused from the state and include his name in the list of persons
prohibited from entering the state once again," the order reads.
Given that many international teams have refused to tour Pakistan in
recent years because of the instability in the country and the fact that
the UAE is a very viable and feasible neutral option - one that has been
used - the order effectively means Asif will not be able to play for
Pakistan there.
Though the PCB says they do not have the relevant documents of the case,
the feeling within the board is that this case at least will not be
pursued actively internally. Officials believe that if the IPL inquiry
finds Asif guilty and bans him from cricket, that may be punishment enough. That case is currently awaiting another hearing, due to be held on January
24 in London, but which has now been shifted back to India.
In 2006, Asif and Shoaib Akhtar were pulled out of the Champions Trophy in India after both tested positive for nandrolone during internal PCB testing.