KEY POINTS:
Hip-hop star Che Fu's former guitarist - a father of 13 whose Rastafarian name is "Brother Zeb" - is holed up in a Dubai jail facing a drug possession charge and a potential four-year jail sentence.
The Herald on Sunday can reveal the 48-year-old dreadlocked fixture of the
Kiwi music scene, who was lead guitarist for more than six years for ensemble Che Fu and the Krates - multiple winners at the NZ Music Awards - was taken into custody more than five weeks ago.
Customs officials at Dubai's International Airport found marijuana crumbs in his luggage.
The drugs weighed a total of 0.7 grams and were located in the pockets of two pairs of pants and a jacket, the Herald on Sunday has learned.
The guitarist and his long-time partner were in transit for nine hours, awaiting a flight to Auckland after visiting Ethiopia for the African Millennium, when both were pulled out of line and searched.
Speaking to the Herald on Sunday last week, the West Auckland woman, who did not want to be identified for the sake of her young children, said she spent a terrifying two days trying to locate "Zebbie" after he was taken away.
"I couldn't just leave him there. I spent a couple of days looking for him. It was freaky, being in a strange country."
Since returning home to the children she has spoken several times to her partner, a member of the the Twelve Tribes of Israel NZ. "He sounds in good spirits," she said, adding he would be finding strength in his faith.
She said there was no escaping the fact her partner had broken the law. He had pleaded guilty to possession for personal use, and the family was awaiting further news from the courts.
"Dubai has a zero tolerance of drugs. The minimum sentence for possession is four years. The embassy is doing what it can - we've just got to go through the legal process," she said.
When asked when she expected to be reunited with her partner, she replied: "I honestly don't know. It could be anywhere from a month to ... whenever."
She said the couple's 13 children, including three foster children, were missing their Dad, but "everyone is trying to remain positive".
She encouraged anyone who wanted to help to write to the King of Dubai.
Rumours about Brother Zeb's arrest had been circling through the tight-knit Kiwi music industry, Che Fu's manager Richard Lose said.
He said Che Fu and the rest of the band were horrified and would do all they could to secure a release.
Zeb left the Krates last year to pursue his own interests, including helping at-risk youth record at his studio, Out Back.
Lose said the prospect of a benefit concert to raise awareness of Zeb's plight had been raised.
Fellow Rastafarian and Green MP Nandor Tanczos knows Brother Zeb and says he is appalled at the situation. He says he will be contacting MFAT.
"It seems ridiculous that he's facing jail in Dubai, given that he was in transit. It's an excessive penalty. I would call on the New Zealand Government to do all that they can to get clemency from the Dubai court. I think that's an obligation."
The Herald on Sunday visited the Twelve Tribes of Israel NZ headquarters last week, where men and women in yellow, red and green were preparing for that night's reggae celebration, in honour of the faith's "crown prince".
A spokeswoman for the New Zealand Consulate-General in Dubai said it was supporting the musician and his family. "We are aware of the case and, as in most cases, we are assisting as we can."
Hardline stance
States in the United Arab Emirates take a notoriously tough stance on drug possession.
In April, Canadian anti-narcotics worker Bert Tatham, employed as a consultant for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and as an adviser to the Afghan Poppy Elimination Programme, was arrested en-route to Vancouver, and imprisoned for four years for possessing 0.06 grams of hashish.
Tatham was returning from taking part in a drug eradication campaign and his family and lawyer claim his trousers must have mistakenly picked up the tiny quantity of drugs.
In June, a 25-year-old Briton received fours years' jail for possessing 0.07 grams of marijuana.
A rare and controversial royal pardon was granted to Grammy-winning hip-hop producer Dallas Austin last July.
He was arrested at the airport with 1.26 grams of cocaine, but pardoned merely hours after his four-year sentence was handed down.
He was reportedly on his way to attend a birthday party for Naomi Campbell at the preposterously extravagant Burj al-Arab hotel when caught.
