Eight defendants jailed in drug peddling case

The High Criminal Court of Appeal on Thursday sentenced five defendants to five years in prison each, three to one year behind bars each in a major drug peddling case.  The case involved 10 individuals including a female. In addition to the imprisonment sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay fines ranging between BD100 and BD3,000. The details of the case showed that the gang was arrested after the Criminal Investigation Department in Interior Ministry received a tip off.

The department, with the help of an informer, arrested a member of the network after buying BD130 worth Methamphetamine, commonly known as Shabu, from him.  When arrested, the suspect was inspected and narcotics were found in his possession.  When asked about the source, he led the interrogators to the second suspect who revealed the identity of other members of the gang.  The defendants, including the female, were aged between 17 and 34 years old.

Subsequent operations resulted in the confiscation of various types of drugs, including Shabu, Hashish, Lyrica, Xanax and other illegal narcotics.  In May 2018, the Public Prosecution accused the suspects of drug abuse and possession, in addition to trafficking and selling charges to some of them.  The suspects included siblings and other relatives.  The Public Prosecution, after interrogating the suspects, referred them to the High Criminal Court, which announced its verdict on Thursday.