Love Island finalist Kaz Crossley has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of drug offences and slung into a Dubai prison – likely for a minimum of three months, it emerged today.
The reality star, 27, was detained at Abu Dhabi airport while transferring to a flight to Thailand where she claims she was off to do some voluntary work.
In 2020 she was filmed appearing to snort lines of suspicious white powder in Dubai when hoards of influencers flocked there to escape Covid-19 restrictions in the UK, claiming they were there for work.
Kaz was arrested on Monday and an insider claimed ‘that her name obviously raised a red flag’ when her passport was checked in the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi. She has since been moved to a Dubai prison, where she was reportedly refused a phone call to her family – but was permitted to send a single email.
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.’
Dubai has recently liberalised its drugs laws with first-time offenders given a minimum of three months in prison and a fine between £4,559 and £22,799. Previously it would be a minimum of four years in prison for any drug use.
Expats are then deported to their home state – in Kaz’s case to the UK – and banned from returning to the UAE.
Shock: Love Island star Kaz Crossley has reportedly been jailed in Dubai on suspicion of drug offences, according to The Sun
Unexpected: It comes after in 2020 she was filmed appearing to snort lines of suspicious white powder while marooned in the United Arab Emirates at the height of the coronavirus pandemic
Busy bee: Kaz was one of many influencers who had travelled to Dubai for ‘work purposes’ when travelled was banned for UK citizens during the height of lockdown in 2020
The authorities have not confirmed why she was arrested.
But around two years ago, Kaz, wearing an orange mini dress, was seen holding a nostril as she snorted white powder during a party in the super-strict United Arab Emirates city.
It is likely her name was flagged up as United Arab Emirates authorities are still probing the old video.
A source told The Sun: ‘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.
‘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.
‘She was allowed to send just one email and wasn’t even allowed to make a phone call.’
Reps for Kaz have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
Her last Instagram post was when she took a short trip to Dublin four days ago.
Living it up: A picture of Kaz posted earlier on said evening on Instagram showed her posing up a storm in the same orange dress, she added the caption: ‘So clean when I pull up to the scene’
Reality star: Kaz shot to fame on the ITV2 show in 2018 and has been influencing online ever since
In the 2020 video the beauty, who shot to fame on the ITV2 show in 2018, seemed unfazed by other partygoers around her as she leaned over the side table.
Dubai has zero tolerance when it comes to drug-related offences with penalties for possession of drugs, even residual amounts, being very severe.
A picture of Kaz posted earlier on said evening on Instagram showed her posing up a storm in the same orange dress, she added the caption: ‘So clean when I pull up to the scene.’
A witness said: ‘Kaz was running with quite a hard partying crowd.
‘She certainly isn’t as squeaky clean as she makes out online.’
MailOnline contacted representatives of Kaz for comment at the time.
Kaz was one of many influencers who had travelled to Dubai for ‘work purposes’ when travelled was banned for UK citizens during the height of lockdown last year.
Just days before the video was released, Kaz revealed she had purchased her second property as she shared snaps from her new Manchester abode.
Captioning her post, she penned: ‘Just got the keys to my second property and new home in Manchester!
‘Feels so surreal, I remember the days I couldn’t even afford the bus. Grateful for this journey.’
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