UAE has urged expatriate residents and tourists to be more vigilant about medicines they carry from their home countries, said a report.

Six Indians are serving jail terms in the country for bringing medicines for personal use that contained banned substances, T P Seetharam, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE was quoted as saying in the Emirates 24/7 report.

Seetharam has appealed to the authorities to create more awareness among the expatriate community about the issue, as most people who end up facing legal hassles are those who carry ‘banned’ medicines due to ignorance, that have been prescribed by doctors in the home countries.

Hamid Mohammed Al Rashid, corporal officer and head of Drug Combat, Dubai Police, pointed out that the Dubai Customs regularly updates the list of medicines banned in the UAE.

People visiting the UAE must check the Dubai Customs website or www.dubai.ae for banned medicines, Rashid was quoted as saying.

Those carrying medicines prescribed by the doctors in their home countries should not only carry the doctor's prescription, but also ensure that the quantity of tablets justify normal use during their scheduled duration of stay, he added.