Hyderabadi held in Abu Dhabi for carrying millets

An NRI was arrested for possessing banned food grains here in Abu Dhabi. The arrested, K Santosh Reddy (37), a native of Marutinagar, Amberpet in Hyderabad was working as a software engineer in Abu Dhabi for some time now. He was arrested last week at the airport in Abu Dhabi upon arrival from Hyderabad when customs officials found him for possessing some food grains, according to his friend Vasu. He told Telangana Today, quoting Santosh’s wife that he had carried about 2 kg of various millets commonly known as ‘Ragulu’.

Santosh’s brother-in-law, who lives in Dubai, said that he was



carrying millets like Kodo Millets, Foxtail millets and Barnyard millets with him without knowing that they were banned in UAE. The family approached the Indian Embassy in Adu Dhabi for his release.

Carrying the banned substance can result in a four-year jail sentence and deportation for expatriates. Despite several warnings in India and the UAE, some people are not aware of the dangers of carrying millets. In the past, a 16-year-old boy was arrested for possessing poppy seeds. In another case, an NRI was sentenced to four years in prison for carrying 102 grams of the seeds. He was charged with smuggling and possessing the seeds. He will be deported after the completion of his jail sentence.