Well, when it’s hot, one tends to use talcum powder. And in India, many use Pond’s talcum powder to deal with heat. While it’s common out here, it could be dangerous elsewhere, as Mohammaed Nawaz from Hyderabad found out. He carried talcum powder in a paper tissue to Qatar and has been in jail ever since.

Nawaz, an MBA graduate, went to Dubai last year and was unsuccessful in getting a job. After trying quite a bit, he returned home. This year, the man from Uppuguda decided to try his luck in the cash-rich country Qatar. Little did he realize carrying some talcum powder would land him in trouble.

Nawaz was irritated with the excess heat in Dubai. And to tackle the same problem, he carried talcum powder in tissue paper to Qatar. On landing in Qatar, he was arrested at the airport for carrying a powder that ‘could’ be narcotics. Despite pleading with the authorities that it was Pond’s talcum powder and nothing else, he was arrested and put behind bars.

The little amount of powder found in his laptop bag cost him severely, and he has been in jail since December 11. He and his family members have been pleading not guilty and have been trying to get him released.

According to rules, carrying powder or powder-like substance in hand or carry-on baggage that is 350ml or larger is prohibited. Substances like spice, sugar, flour, ground coffee, and cosmetics are also not allowed. In fact, the Gulf countries do not permit one to carry even less than 350 ml.