Kaz Crossley has broken her silence after being arrested in the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of drug offenses and being held in a Dubai prison.
The 27-year-old British reality star was detained at Abu Dhabi airport as she was transferred to a flight to Thailand where she says she was going to do voluntary work.
In 2020, she was filmed appearing to inhale lines of white powder in Dubai as hordes of influencers flocked to escape Covid-19 restrictions in the UK, claiming they were there for work.
Speaking about his ‘own truth’ on Instagram, Kaz said: ‘Hello everyone. I wanted to make this video to tell my own truth and use my own voice about a situation that happened to me.
“I feel like I owe it to my fans and I owe it to myself to bring closure to this situation because it’s been a good few years and now I’m ready to move on.”
She continued: ‘In 2020, I was in Dubai. I was filmed, it was me on the video, no one made me do that, it was a time in my life where I definitely didn’t love myself at all, probably. And this is reflected in what I was doing to my body and who I was surrounded by.’
“It was a time in my life where I definitely didn’t love myself”: Kaz Crossley broke her silence after being arrested in the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of drug offenses and booked into a Dubai prison.
‘[The video] it later leaked and then more recently it was on its way to Thailand,’ Kaz explained.
‘I had an amazing job offer. I was so excited about this job offer guys it was like my dream job and I stayed up all night doing research and yeah I didn’t think about traffic in Abu Dhabi and that it would be a problem for me because obviously I don’t I was thinking and… yes, everything happens for a reason.
“Then they arrested me in Abu Dhabi and kept me in custody from Monday to Friday, which is when they released me.
‘I was very accepting of the situation and I was ready for what was going to happen to me because, at the end of the day, I take full responsibility. I’m not lying. I said that was me in the video and explained the situation, it was a long time ago, etc.
The former Love Island star explained that she has received many concerned messages from her followers, much of it warning her about her friends in her circle.
However, Kaz clarified that the leaked video of her with a white substance was recorded by an ex, not one of her friends.
Kaz was arrested on Monday and a source claimed “her name obviously raised a red flag” when her passport was checked in the United Arab Emirates capital.
She has since been transferred to a Dubai prison, where she was reportedly denied a phone call to her family but allowed to send only one email.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in contact with local authorities following the arrest of a British citizen in the United Arab Emirates.”
Dubai has recently liberalized its drug laws, with first-time offenders receiving a minimum of three months in prison and a fine of between £4,559 and £22,799. Previously, offenders would have faced a minimum of four years in prison for any drug use.
Arrest: The 27-year-old British reality star was detained at Abu Dhabi airport while transferring to a flight to Thailand where she says she was going to do voluntary work
In 2020, Kaz was filmed appearing to inhale lines of suspicious white powder while in the United Arab Emirates at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
After serving a jail term, the suspects are deported to their home state (in Kaz’s case, the UK) and barred from returning to the United Arab Emirates. Sentences for drug trafficking can include the death penalty.
Kaz’s case is a stark warning for expats. Last month, experts told MailOnline that a record number of Britons could end up in a Dubai prison as a result of a decision to slash the cost of alcohol to attract more tourists who are also courted by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Human rights groups predict a culture shock in the Muslim Gulf.
The group Detained in Dubai believes that thousands of Britons have been arrested and hundreds jailed in recent years due to the strict and “highly conflicting” laws of the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai authorities have not confirmed the reason for Kaz’s detention, but the influencer was seen around two years ago, wearing an orange minidress, holding her nose while snorting white powder during a party in the city.
It is likely that his name was flagged when he tried to leave for Thailand, as authorities in the United Arab Emirates are still investigating the old video.
Kaz, whose mother is Thai, posted her last Instagram post five days ago when she took a short trip to Dublin.
A source told The Sun: “She was looking forward to going back to Thailand, where she’s been doing volunteer work, and suddenly she’s languishing in a Dubai jail.”
Everybody knows how strict they are on drugs there. She must be terrified. She had only stopped in Abu Dhabi to catch a connecting flight, but her name has obviously raised a red flag.
“He was allowed to send only one email and was not even allowed to make a phone call.”
Kaz’s representatives have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
Kaz was one of many influencers who traveled to Dubai for “work purposes” when UK citizens were banned from traveling during the height of the lockdown in 2020.
Kaz was one of many influential people who traveled to Dubai for “work reasons” when UK citizens were banned from traveling during the height of the lockdown.
Just days before video surfaced of her appearing to inhale white powder, Kaz revealed that she had bought her second property: a new home in Manchester.
An army of British influencers and reality TV stars have been recruited to lure UK tourists to holiday in the United Arab Emirates city, where the 30 per cent alcohol tax was lifted on the eve of New Year.
Love Island’s Millie Court and Chloe Burrows looked at 2023 in Dubai as they promoted their bars, restaurants and businesses, sharing numerous videos on Instagram of them downing shots, dancing in clubs and sunbathing poolside as tax changes kicked in. .
If the 30 per cent tax cut is passed through, the price of the drink would drop from around £12 a pint to around £8. A glass of wine would cost around £6 and a cocktail around £10, and it would be even cheaper during happy hours which are common in Dubai hotels. The price of wine and spirits is already falling in authorized stores.
Despite vehement denials, Saudi’s ultra-conservative regime is also said to be considering allowing drinking for the first time, and trying to diversify away from oil by hosting events like major music festivals, including one last year marred by claims that women they were routinely sexually abused.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is hell-bent on securing the 2030 World Cup, using Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as ambassadors.
Fame: Kaz and ex-boyfriend Josh Denzel made it to the 2018 Love Island finale, but their relationship didn’t last
Dubai is the financial, commercial and tourism hub of the United Arab Emirates, a major oil exporter that has gradually loosened its ties to the drink while using global stars and influencers to promote its image as the party capital of the Gulf.
His hospitality businesses have already been praising the tax cut on Instagram, which is already full of posts of models, often scantily clad, sipping champagne or cocktails by a pool or on the balcony of a skyscraper.
The state has a population of 3.3 million and expats outnumber locals by at least nine to one, and the tax cut is likely to please many of them, including the large group of Brits there.
More than 12 million international visitors arrived in the first 11 months of 2022, double the number in 2021, but despite praise about the weather and luxury accommodation, there are often complaints about the price of alcoholic beverages.