Pakistani caught for smuggling drugs

Manama

 A Pakistani national accused of smuggling drugs did it to provide financial support to his 'needy family', the High Criminal Court heard.

He is being tried along with two others in connection with the case and they face up to 10 years each in jail if found guilty.

 The 32-year-old was arrested at Bahrain International Airport on April 9 by Customs officers who had received a tip off.

He was manually inspected but nothing illegal was found in his possession or inside his luggage. However, after intense questioning, he admitted to hiding capsules in his stomach.

He also revealed the identities of his co-accomplices, also Pakistani nationals, who were waiting for him outside the airport. 

 All three of them were subjected to X-ray and police found 150 capsules inside them.

The 32-year-old was found to be having 65 capsules weighing 500 grams in his stomach. He told prosecutors he was promised 85,000 Pakistani rupees (BD315) for smuggling the drugs into the country.

 "A man in Pakistan told me he will give my family 85,000 Pakistani rupees if I smuggle heroin into Bahrain," he said in his statement. “I agreed and swallowed 65 pills two days before my flight to Bahrain. I was going to meet two men when I was busted at the airport,” he added.

 "We are very poor and I wanted to help my mother,” he said in his statement.

 However, the 32-year-old pleaded not guilty as he appeared before the remand judge, who extended his custody, pending investigations.