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Rapper Fredo reveals grim details of Dubai jail stint with hole-in-floor loo

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Fears had been growing over the conditions the rapper could be suffering inside Dubai
Fears had been growing over the conditions the rapper could be suffering inside Dubai's overcrowded prisons

BRIT rapper Fredo spent five months in a hell-hole Dubai jail with no toilets after getting caught with cannabis and attempting to swallow his stash.

The chart-topper, 29, was released last week and revealed he was finally feeling "rehabilitated" after his lengthy stint only eating chicken biryani and being refused loo roll.

Fredo posted this pic on Instagram five days ago with the caption 'feeling rehabilitated' after his release from a hellhole Dubai jail qhiqqkidediehprw
Fredo posted this pic on Instagram five days ago with the caption 'feeling rehabilitated' after his release from a hellhole Dubai jailCredit: https://www.instagram.com/fredo/
Past Brit detainees have warned of the overcrowding and grim conditions inside the UAE in prisons like Dubai Central Jail (pictured)
Past Brit detainees have warned of the overcrowding and grim conditions inside the UAE in prisons like Dubai Central Jail (pictured)
On Sunday he shared a snap of him in front of a luxury car after telling fans of his grim experiences behind bars
On Sunday he shared a snap of him in front of a luxury car after telling fans of his grim experiences behind barsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/fredo/

The Funky Friday star was arrested late last year in Dubai International but claimed he didn’t realise he had the Class B drug on him after sailing through security at a British airport.

Fredo, real name Marvin William Bailey, has now warned his fans "just don't go to jail" and called his experience "crazy" after making his return to Instagram.

The London artist said that his life behind bars consisted of no toilets and a "a lot" of one curry - but the experience had helped him "appreciate" ordinary life more.

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Although it is not clear what prison he was held in, previous Brits arrested in Dubai have shared harrowing accounts of their time locked up in the emirate.

Mark Fox, 46, an artist from Preston who was busted for possessing cocaine in 2020 found himself in 200-strong brawls with ISIS fighters and being beaten by guards inside Dubai's Al Barsha prison.

The dad-of-two told The Sun he witnessed men have nervous breakdowns and was forced to pull out his own teeth and toenails after being ravaged by disease in its filthy cells.

Other arrestees described living off rice-only diets and being locked inside rooms with 192 beds if you're lucky, while others are forced to sleep on grimy floors.

In the wake of Fredo's arrest, fears had been growing for the conditions the young rapper might be subjected to.

Radha Stirling, CEO of advocacy organisation Detained In Dubai, previously told The Sun: "Wherever he is, it's going to be in overcrowded conditions, the lights are gonna be on all night... it's completely disrupted.

"He's not going to get access to medicine he needs. There is the risk, obviously, of violence, it's intimidating."

However, despite his ordeal, Fredo appears to be ready to bounce back and is "feeling rehabilitated".

In an Instagram video, he added: “Don’t be scared to come to Dubai. Just don’t bring anything that you’re not meant to bring and you’ll be alright.

“Don’t listen to the rumours. They’ll treat you nice. They’ll give you a lot of chicken biryani. They’ll give you a lot of thinking time. We all make mistakes.

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“Just don’t go to jail. No toilets - nothing. Hole in the ground. No tissue roll. None of that. It’s crazy.

“But it makes you appreciate your life and all the good stuff you’ve got going on.”

The musician, known for his collaborations with Stormzy, Dave, and Central Cee, took the chance to show off a new beard in the clip and requested a personal trainer to shift extra weight gained.

He also flicked through pages of lyrics which he’d been working on while inside - and offered supporters a chance to win his makeshift wallet made out of a milk carton by a fellow lag.

But the dad-of-one rubbished rumours he concealed the weed in his backside and was sentenced to five years, which is the minimum term for trafficking in the UAE.

Fredo didn't make clear what he was booked on but use and possession in Dubai -  which has a strict zero tolerance for drugs-related offences - carries a minimum three-month sentence.

The dad-of-one talking about his experiences behind bars in Dubai soon after his release
The dad-of-one talking about his experiences behind bars in Dubai soon after his releaseCredit: https://www.instagram.com/fredo/
Brit Mark Fox previously told The Sun about his harrowing experiences in Al Barsha detention centre in Dubai
Brit Mark Fox previously told The Sun about his harrowing experiences in Al Barsha detention centre in DubaiCredit: Facebook/Al Barsha
Fredo performed with Stormzy at Glastonbury last summer after sharing a No.1 hit
Fredo performed with Stormzy at Glastonbury last summer after sharing a No.1 hitCredit: BBC

The Toxic Strait singer, who has now quit smoking, added: “It was a big accident. I would never ever bring weed to Dubai. Getting right back to the music.

“No five years. I’m home. Just waiting on CM40. Then I’ll be home soon. Mistakes happen. Don’t judge me - it was an accident.

“And I never put no weed in my behind as well. I panicked and I swallowed it. Whoever tried to say I put some weed in my behind, don’t do that.

“Love lying on me saying I got five years putting weed in my behind. I would never do nothing like that.

“I panicked and swallowed it. I didn’t realise I had it. This is what happens when you smoke. England let me go through it and they caught me over here but I never knew.”

The Foreign Office had confirmed it was supporting a British man held in the UAE and was in contact with local authorities.

Fredo released No1 hit Toxic Trait with Stormzy last summer before performing it together at Glastonbury festival.

But a dramatic video showed him being arrested at Heathrow airport on a flight back from Barbados just hours before the track dropped in June.

The Brit was taken into custody but later released without charge.

It came months after the rap star was hit with a three-year driving ban after being found over the legal cannabis limit in a £55,000 Range Rover Velar in Edmonton, North London.

The London rapper was arrested late last year after being caught with cannabis in Dubai which has a zero-tolerance drug policy
The London rapper was arrested late last year after being caught with cannabis in Dubai which has a zero-tolerance drug policyCredit: Instagram
The rapper had been arrested last summer in Heathrow airport over a separate incident
The rapper had been arrested last summer in Heathrow airport over a separate incidentCredit: Getty
The Brit musician said he is ready to bounce back after some 'rehabilitation'
The Brit musician said he is ready to bounce back after some 'rehabilitation'Credit: Instagram

Iona Cleave

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