Carrying a small quantity of talcum powder to beat the heat in an Arab country with high temperatures has led to a man finding himself behind the bars in Qatar.
A passenger who had travelled from Hyderabad to Qatar in search of employment was arrested after authorities found a pinch of the talcum powder packed in a tissue paper in his possession, reported Telangana Today.
The man who had travelled to the country in search of a job opportunity became a suspect after he unknowing carried the material. Authorities arrested the man suspecting it to be a narcotic substance.
A resident of Uppuguda and MBA graduate, Mohammed Nawaz was taken into custody on charges of carrying a drug in tissue papers on December 11 and has been behind bars since then.
Nawaz who was in Dubai, last year, in search of a job opportunity, carried the talcum powder in a tissue paper, that was kept inside his laptop bag.
He would apply the talcum powder whenever he was to go and attend interviews in extremely hot and humid weather to avoid irritation and uneasiness, his family claimed. Nawaz has been insisting that it was nothing but talcum powder. However, officials have sent the material for laboratory testing as per procedure.
After an unsuccessful time in looking for employment in UAE, Nawaz flew to Qatar to try his luck. But was arrested on arrival at the Doha airport, after customs officials found the talcum powder in his laptop bag, folded in a facial tissue paper.
According to the rules, carrying any powder or powder-like substance, more than 350 ml, including spices, sugar, flour, ground coffee, and cosmetics in hand or carry-on baggage, is prohibited.
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