Three Convicted in Major Drug Smuggling Ring Bust at King Fahd Causeway

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by H Naser

The High Criminal Court has sentenced three individuals involved in a drug smuggling ring to prison terms. The trio was apprehended attempting to smuggle a significant quantity of "CBD" (cannabis) into Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway.

The ringleader, the first defendant, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 5,000 Bahraini dinars. The second and third defendants received one-year prison sentences each and were fined 1,000 Bahraini dinars. The court also ordered the confiscation of all seized evidence.

The incident unfolded when customs security officers at the King Fahd Causeway intercepted the three individuals arriving from Saudi Arabia. The officers, noticing the defendants' unusual behavior, questioned them about any items they were carrying, but they denied having anything to declare.

A thorough search revealed a stash of plastic containers containing "CBD" weighing 7.5 grams in the first defendant's possession. An additional plastic piece containing 8.4 grams of the same substance was found in his pants pocket. A search of the third defendant's bag uncovered two prohibited pills and an electronic shisha containing 90.1 grams of the same drug liquid.

Further investigation led to the discovery of eight plastic containers containing 1236.3 grams of the substance hidden in a travel bag in the car's trunk, three containers weighing 238.9 grams concealed in the drawer between the front seats, and three containers weighing 84.3 grams hidden in the driver's door pocket.

Prohibited pills were found in the back seat, along with six empty plastic containers used for packaging and a plastic piece containing 7.8 grams of the substance hidden in the trunk in a plastic bag.

The first defendant confessed to drug use during the Public Prosecution investigation and admitted ownership of the seized items. Both the first and second defendants confessed to drug use.

Toxicology and drug laboratory reports confirmed the seized items contained "CBD" (cannabis). Analysis of the first defendant's phone by the Cybercrime Department revealed messages related to the sale and purchase of drugs and images of materials and tools used for consumption.