Hashish seller loses final plea

TDT | Manama

A man convicted of peddling drugs recently lost his final chance to challenge the 10-year prison sentence he has been serving since 2017. This came as the man, who was also fined BD3,000 back then for the same charge, got his final appeal rejected by the Court of Cassation, which upheld his punishment on Tuesday. The details of the case show that the man was caught red-handed while he was selling hashish to a secret informant in the Muharraq Governorate.

The informant was recruited by the Anti-Narcotics Department in the Interior Ministry and contacted the appellant to request to buy a piece of hashish worth BD50. They agreed to meet near a pharmacy in Muharraq where the informant handed over the amount, which was previously copied by the police, and received the piece from the man under secret surveillance from authorities. After collecting the piece from the informant, a police force moved to apprehend the appellant, while an accomplice who was waiting for him in a car (a black SUV) escaped the scene after ramming into the police vehicle.

Laboratory tests of the sold piece confirmed it was hashish, while a blood and urine examination of the appellant showed traces of several narcotic substances. On December 19, 2017, the appellant was interrogated by the Public Prosecution, which charged him of illegal sale of drugs (hashish). He was sentenced by a first degree court to 10 years in jail and to pay a fine of BD3,000. He appealed against the verdict to the Supreme Criminal Court of Appeal, which rejected his plea considering the provided evidence, witness testimonies and the confiscated substance.

The man once again challenged the verdict before the Court of Cassation, which deliberated the case and upheld the same sentence that was initially issued against him.