A MAN who attempted to smuggle more than BD300,000 worth of crystal meth, locally known as shabu, into the country has been jailed for five years.
The 34-year-old Pakistani was arrested at Bahrain International Airport on February 9, according to court documents.
He was stopped by custom officers after acting suspiciously and the narcotics were found hidden in his suitcase in a specially-concealed compartment.
The drugs smuggler had covered four kilos of shabu in a nylon sheet which was then hidden under a wooden plank in a secret section at the bottom of his luggage.
Further investigations revealed that the defendant was part of a drug trafficking ring that smuggled large amounts of drugs into the country.
“Secret sources provided information to the authorities about the defendant’s knowledge about the drugs in his briefcase,” read the court ruling. “He took money in return of smuggling narcotics into the country.
“The defendant was arrested red-handed at Bahrain International Airport in possession of shabu.
“He used a wooden plank to cover the drugs, which he placed at the bottom of his luggage.
“The drug smuggler was arrested after customs officials at the airport suspected foul play and ran the package through an X-ray machine and found the narcotics.”
The defendant told prosecutors that he received BD500 to smuggle the drugs but did not reveal to the court how many drug runs he had made into the country.
“My friend told me that I can get money, if I helped in smuggling narcotics,” he said in his statement to prosecutors. “I really needed to get money and this was my only way.
“I would get paid BD500 each time I smuggled the narcotics. I was caught on my last attempt and I regret what I have done.”
The defendant was also fined BD3,000 and will be deported after completing his sentence.
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