ABU DHABI // An expatriate denied shipping cartons of drugs, alcohol and "inappropriate" statues to his home in Abu Dhabi when he appeared at the Criminal Court today.

The American said he had left his pregnant wife in the US and that she was in charge of shipping his belongings over to him. He said he told his wife not to ship the alcohol or statues and that she must have mistakenly sent the drugs, which belonged to her brother who had stayed with them for a short while in America.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding," he said, adding that he wanted to go home. Records did not make clear in what way the statues were "inappropriate".

A verdict was scheduled for October 27.

osalem@thenational.ae