‘It was a time in my life when I absolutely didn’t love myself’: Kaz Crossley breaks her silence after being arrested on drug charges and held in a Dubai jail

Kaz Crossley has broken her silence after she was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of drug-related offenses and held in a Dubai jail.

The British reality star, 27, was arrested at Abu Dhabi Airport as she boarded a flight to Thailand, where she said she was volunteering.

In 2020, she was filmed in Dubai sniffing lines of white powder as hordes of influencers flocked there to escape Britain’s Covid-19 restrictions, claiming they were there for work.

Kaz shared her “own truth” on Instagram: “Hi everyone. I wanted to make this video to speak my own truth and use my own voice about a situation that happened to me.

“I feel like I owe it to my followers and myself to end this situation because it’s been a few years and now I’m ready to move on.”

She continued: “In 2020 I was in Dubai. I was filmed – it was me in the video, nobody forced me – it was a time in my life where I probably didn’t love myself at all. And you can see it in what I did to my body and who I surrounded myself with.”

‘[The video] was later leaked and recently I was on my way to Thailand,” Kaz continued.

“I was offered a great job. I was so excited about this job offer guys it was like my dream job and I stayed up all night doing research and yes I didn’t think about the transfer in Abu Dhabi and that it would be a problem for me, because of course I was thinking and… yes, everything happens for a reason.

“I was then arrested in Abu Dhabi and held from Monday to Friday and then they released me.

“I was very accepting of the situation and I was ready for anything that happened to me because at the end of the day I take full responsibility. I’m not lying. I said I was in the video and explained the situation, it was a long time ago, etc.

The former Love Island star explained that she had a lot of worried messages from her followers, mostly warning them about her friends in her circle.

However, Kaz clarified that the leaked video of her using a white substance was shot by an ex, not one of her friends.

Kaz was arrested on Monday and a source claimed “her name clearly had a red flag” when her passport was checked in the UAE capital.

She has since been transferred to a prison in Dubai, where she is said to have been denied a call to her family but allowed to send a single email.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in contact with local authorities following the arrest of a British national in the United Arab Emirates.”

Dubai recently liberalized its drug laws, with new offenders facing a minimum of three months in prison and a fine of between £4,559 and £22,799. In the past, offenders would have had to serve at least four years in prison for each drug use.

Arrest: The British reality star, 27, was arrested at Abu Dhabi Airport as she boarded a flight to Thailand, where she said she was volunteering.

In 2020, Kaz was filmed appearing to sniff lines of suspicious white powder in the United Arab Emirates at the height of the coronavirus pandemic

Kaz shared her “own truth” on Instagram: “In 2020 I was in Dubai. I was filmed – it was me in the video, no one forced me – it was a time in my life that I probably didn’t didn’t love myself

After serving a sentence, suspects are deported to their home countries – in Kaz’s case the UK – and are not allowed to return to the UAE. Penalties for drug trafficking can include the death penalty.

The Kaz case is a clear warning to expats. Experts told MailOnline last month that a record number of Britons could face jail in Dubai following a decision to lower alcohol prices to attract more tourists, including those from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Human rights groups predict a culture war in the Islamic Gulf.

Dubai-based group Detained believes thousands of Britons have been arrested and hundreds jailed in recent years under the UAE’s tough and “highly inconsistent” laws.

Authorities in Dubai have not confirmed the reason for Kaz’s arrest, but about two years ago, the influencer was spotted wearing an orange minidress holding one nostril while sniffing white powder at a party in the city.

It is likely that her name was flagged when she tried to leave for Thailand, as UAE authorities are still investigating the old video.

Kaz, whose mother is Thai, posted her last Instagram post five days ago while taking a short trip to Dublin.

A source told The Sun: “She was looking forward to returning to Thailand where she was volunteering and suddenly she is languishing in a Dubai prison.

“Everyone knows how strict they are with drugs there. She must be scared. She was only stopping in Abu Dhabi to catch a connecting flight, but her name was clearly a red flag.

“She was only allowed to email and not even call.”

Kaz representatives have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

Kaz was one of many influencers who traveled to Dubai for “work purposes” when travel was banned for British nationals during the height of the 2020 lockdown

Kaz was one of several influencers who traveled to Dubai for “work purposes” when travel was banned for British nationals during the height of lockdown.

Just days before the video of her apparently sniffing white powder was released, Kaz revealed that she had bought her second property: a new house in Manchester.

An army of British influencers and reality TV stars has been recruited to lure UK tourists to holiday in the UAE city, which has scrapped the 30 per cent alcohol tax on New Year’s Eve.

Love Island’s Millie Court and Chloe Burrows spotted Dubai in 2023 as they promoted the bars, restaurants and shops and shared numerous videos on Instagram of them taking pictures, dancing in clubs and sunbathing by pools when the tax changes kick in .

Passing the 30 per cent tax cut would bring the price of booze down from around £12 a pint to around £8. A glass of wine costs around £6 and a cocktail around £10 – and will be even cheaper during happy hour, which is common in Dubai hotels. Wine and spirits prices are already falling in licensed shops.

Despite strong opposition, the ultra-conservative Saudi regime is also said to be considering allowing alcohol for the first time – and is trying to diversify away from oil by hosting events such as major music festivals, including one that last year was marred by allegations that women were regularly assaulted.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is determined to secure the 2030 World Cup with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as ambassadors.

Fame: Kaz and ex-boyfriend Josh Denzel made it to the final of Love Island 2018 – but their relationship didn’t last long

Dubai is the financial, commercial and tourism center of the UAE, a major oil exporter that has gradually shed the shackles of drinking while using global stars and influencers to promote its image as the party capital of the Gulf.

The hospitality industry is already hailing the tax cut on Instagram, which is already filled with posts of often scantily clad models sipping champagne or cocktails poolside or on the balcony of a skyscraper.

The state has a population of 3.3 million and there are at least nine times more expats than locals and the tax cut is likely to please many of them, including the large group of Brits there.

More than 12 million international visitors came in the first 11 months of 2022 – doubling the number in 2021 – but despite enthusiasm for the weather and luxury accommodation, complaints about the price of alcoholic beverages are common.