*** Bahraini imports arms, gets 15-year jail term | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Bahraini imports arms, gets 15-year jail term

Manama 

25-year-old Bahraini man, who imported weapons and grenades, was slapped with 15 years in prison yesterday before the High Criminal Court.  The man, who was convicted of possessing weapons without a license, is said to have decided to arm himself after Bahrain’s 2011 unrest over fears of an imminent Iranian attack. 

“I decided to bring arms after the unrest. So I surfed the Internet to find the sources that sell weapons,” the defendant told prosecutors. “I saw a Gulf citizen advertising an arm for sale. I contacted him and later I bought it from him for SR16,000 (BD1600),” he added.

Prosecutors said that police had seized two shotguns, two machine guns, two pistols, a Kalashnikov in addition to over 3,000 live ammunition and grenades in 2014 from the defendant. 

The Bahraini national claimed that he had sold a land plot to buy the arms. Prosecutors had charged him with arms possession without a license. He earlier entered a not guilty plea.