Woman jailed in Bahrain for smuggling capsules from Iran

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

A woman in her fifties arrested with 1,600 medical capsules after landing in Bahrain from Iran will now spend three months in jail here, confirmed the High Appeals Court.

She had earlier received only a BD100 fine, but the High Appeals Court added a three-month jail term while considering an appeal. Initial charges of drug peddling would have landed her in jail for a longer term.

However, the High Criminal Court, following trials, commuted that to less severe illegal substance handling. She was later charged with bringing a large amount of medicine to Bahrain that exceeded the allowed limit.

The woman claimed during the trial that she had brought the capsules from Iran with a medical prescription for a year and that she did not know the banned substances present in them.

Court files say the woman’s nervous behaviour during airport procedures raised suspicion among Customs officials, who decided to search her luggage, resulting in the discovery of the capsules inside her bags.

Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the capsules contained outlawed components, making her a prime suspect in a drug peddling case. The investigating officer also revealed to the court that they were acting on confidential information received about an attempt to smuggle drugs into the Kingdom.

"Therefore, I circulated a memo requesting to have her extensively searched once she arrives in the Kingdom of Bahrain," the officer said during interrogation. The Public Prosecution had charged the woman with an attempt to smuggle capsules into the Kingdom with the intent to sell and consume outlawed drugs.