Asian drug ring leader receives life sentence

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsobahrain.com

A life sentence for the ringleader of a drug-smuggling gang and 10-year prison terms for two Asian expats have marked the downfall of a brazen attempt to bring 5.3kg of methamphetamine and 1.55kg of heroin into Bahrain, stashed in suitcases and smuggled through the airport.

The First High Criminal Court also ordered the two expats to pay fines of BD3,000 each and deported them after serving their sentences. In a surprising twist, a sixty-year-old accomplice, though convicted of involvement, was spared punishment. All confiscated items were ordered to be destroyed.

The case came to light when the first defendant arrived at Bahrain International Airport from her home country. Customs officials, suspicious of her luggage, discovered 5.3 kilograms of meth and 1.55 kilograms of heroin hidden within. Investigations revealed she was working under the orders of the gang’s ringleader, the fourth defendant, with the help of another network member.

Police, acting on a warrant, arrested the second defendant at her home, where 180 dinars were recovered. During questioning, she admitted liaising with the first defendant before her arrival, assisting her in smuggling the drugs under the fourth defendant’s direction.

Trap

Officers set a trap for the fourth defendant by persuading the second defendant to make contact. Acting on his instructions, the fourth defendant sent the third defendant to collect the drugs at a pre-arranged spot. Police arrested him upon arrival