'Love Island' star Kaz Crossley faces PRISON in Dubai on suspicion of breaking country's strict drug laws
DUBAI, UAE: Love Island star Kaz Crossley has reportedly become a prisoner while transiting through Dubai over suspicions about previous drug offenses, stemming from nearly 2 years ago. The 27-year-old influencer was arrested at the Abu Dhabi airport from where she was to catch a flight to Thailand.
"She was looking forward to getting back to Thailand where she has been doing voluntary work and all of a sudden she is languishing in a Dubai jail," a source told Daily Mail. The arrest was based on a 2020 video in in which Kaz Crossley was filmed snorting lines of suspicious white powder in the United Arab Emirates amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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What really happened?
British native Kaz Crossley was one of many influencers who had traveled to Dubai for "work purposes" when travel was banned for UK citizens amid the national lockdown to halt the spread of Covid-19. During her Dubai 2020 trip, the reality star was recorded in an orange mini-dress and holding a nostril as she snorted lines of white powder at a party in the super-strict United Arab Emirates city. Unidentified bystanders were also recorded in the background of the video.
Dubai has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to drug-related offenses. Possession of even the smallest amount of illegal drugs is considered a severe crime, carrying a minimum sentence of four years. Before her arrest, Kaz Crossley was flagged by the United Arab Emirates authorities as they probed the old video. "Everyone knows how strict they are about drugs over there. She must be terrified. She had only stopped off in Abu Dhabi to catch a connecting flight but her name has obviously raised a red flag," the source said, adding that the influencer was allowed to "send just one email and wasn't even allowed to make a phone call," after being jailed.
'Arrest of a British national in the United Arab Emirates!'
A foreign office spokesman said, "We are in contact with the local authorities following the arrest of a British national in the United Arab Emirates." The influencer who shot to fame on the ITV2 show in 2018, last posted an Instagram post of the time she took a short trip to Dublin four days ago.
However, just days before the video was released, Kaz revealed she had purchased a second property in Manchester abode. Captioning her post, she penned, "Just got the keys to my second property and new home in Manchester!" She added, "Feels so surreal, I remember the days I couldn’t even afford the bus. Grateful for this journey."