Dubai jails Britons for 4 years on drug charges

A Dubai court yesterday sentenced three Britons to four years in jail on drug charges, a decision that may overshadow a visit to Britain by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) president because of allegations the defendants were tortured.

The three were convicted a day after British prime minister David Cameron voiced concern about the allegations and his spokes- man said the case would be on the agenda of his talks this week with president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan.

Grant Cameron, Karl Williams, and Suneet Jeerh, all in their 20s, were arrested in Jul 2012 during a holiday in the UAE. Police said they had found synthetic cannabis in their hire car.