Gulf national and two Asian men sent to jail after 55,335 drug pills found hidden in table tennis paddles and balls

TDT | Manama

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Customs officers found 55,335 psychotropic pills hidden inside table tennis paddles and balls in a parcel from abroad, leading to the arrest of three men and the busting of a smuggling ring.

The High Criminal Court sentenced a Gulf national and two Asian men to five years in prison, fined them BD3,000 each, and ordered their deportation. The drugs were seized.

Prosecutors said the trio, along with an unidentified accomplice, illegally imported the narcotics using concealment and deception.

A customs officer on duty flagged a package arriving under a recipient’s name.

X-ray scan

It contained sports equipment, including table tennis gear. An X-ray scan picked up irregularities, prompting a manual check.

Officers found paddles and balls stuffed with thousands of tablets.

A narcotics officer confirmed the findings, adding that the parcel was registered to an Asian recipient who declined to collect it himself, instead requesting home delivery.

He gave the name and address of a building’s security guard to accept it on his behalf.

Package Detectives contacted the guard, who agreed to receive the package.

Officers replaced the real parcel with a dummy one and sent an undercover officer disguised as a courier.

The guard signed for the delivery and was immediately arrested. Officers searched his home before taking him into custody.

Checks

Further checks linked the second suspect’s name and phone number to the shipment.

The first and second suspects later arrived at the pick-up point, where they were arrested.

The first suspect admitted to arranging the shipment with an Asian accomplice, intending to hand it over to the Gulf national in exchange for BD1,500, to be paid through an intermediary.