Bahrain court grants five-year prison term for drug smuggling attempt

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Court sentenced an Asian man to five years in prison for attempting to smuggle over 152 methamphetamine capsules by swallowing them.

The Court also ordered his permanent deportation after serving his sentence, besides a fine of BD3,000 for the purchase and possession of hashish and methamphetamine with the intent of unlawful trafficking.

The defendant arrived in the Kingdom of Bahrain from his home country.

When passing through customs at the Bahrain International Airport, he looked suspicious and was accordingly searched. However, nothing was found in his possession.

The defendant answered no when asked if he had any illegal materials in his possession, but his expression was tense.

He was brought to the Salmaniya Medical Complex after the customs officer ordered him to be moved to the X-ray room due to suspicions that he had drugs in his stomach.

The narcotic pills there were distributed in batches and had a pill count of 103.

Investigations of the Anti-Narcotics Directorate indicated that the defendant works within a network that brings drugs to the Kingdom with the intent of trafficking.

The defendant’s role was to transport the narcotic substances in his bowels through ingestion.

The capsules were lab proven to contain methamphetamine, while the defendant’s urine sample indicated that he had taken drugs.

The defendant admitted that he was tempted to smuggle the narcotics to Bahrain for BD1,000.