Beauty parlour job lands Indian woman in Dubai jail

By Sagaya Fernando | July 29, 2025

Hyderabad, Telengana, INDIA: A 24-year-old woman from Hyderabad, who travelled to Dubai in search of better job prospects, has landed in a UAE jail after being allegedly duped into carrying a bag containing illegal drugs.

Ameena Begum, a resident of Konda Reddy Guda in the Kishan Bagh area of Hyderabad, left for Dubai on May 18, 2025, after a local travel agent promised her employment at a beauty parlour. However, upon her arrival at the Dubai International Airport, she was detained by authorities after drugs were found in a bag she had in her possession.

According to a letter addressed to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar by Ameena’s mother, Sultana Begum, the young woman was unaware of the contents of the bag. The letter states that Ameena had been asked to deliver the bag to someone in Dubai, believing it to be a harmless errand related to her travel.

From jail, Ameena reportedly managed to call her family and pleaded her innocence, insisting she had no knowledge of the contraband. Her family, shattered by the turn of events, has appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to intervene urgently and ensure her safe return to India.

“We are devastated. Ameena is innocent. She thought she was going to start a new chapter of her life, but now she’s behind bars in a foreign land,” Sultana Begum wrote in her emotional appeal. “Her five-year-old son, Mohd Zeeshan, has fallen ill. He keeps crying for his mother day and night.”

The family has also reached out to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai, seeking legal support and immediate consular assistance.

The incident has sparked outrage and concern in the local community, especially over the role of the travel agent who facilitated Ameena’s trip. The family suspects that Ameena may have been unknowingly used as a drug mule and is urging Indian authorities to launch a thorough investigation into the agent’s activities.

This case comes amid growing concerns over vulnerable Indian women being lured overseas under the guise of employment and then exploited by trafficking networks. The MEA is yet to issue an official response to the family’s plea.