A LOVE-STRUCK man wanted to make fast cash because he wanted to get married, so he allegedly tried to smuggle BD80,000 worth of drugs into Bahrain, a court heard.
The 28-year-old Pakistani appeared at the High Criminal Court yesterday where he denied trying to smuggle narcotics into the kingdom and being part of an international drug smuggling ring.
He was arrested on April 20 after Customs officials at Bahrain International Airport caught him acting suspiciously.
They then found 3.5kg of crystal meth, locally known as shabu, in a rubber padding strapped to his legs.
The defendant initially said that he was given BD1,000 by a man in Pakistan to smuggle drugs into Bahrain.
He said that he had had a lot of loans and needed the money to get married, which is why he agreed to be a drug mule.
“I regret what I have done, but I really needed to get married,” he said in his statement to prosecutors.
“I love this woman in Pakistan, but I have a lot of loans and will not be able to marry her.
“I had no choice but to make fast cash to be able to get married quickly.
“So I agreed to smuggle drugs into Bahrain and placed the narcotics in a rubber padding and strapped them to my legs.
“However, I was scared when I arrived at Bahrain International Airport and authorities found the narcotics on me.
“I was supposed to deliver the drugs to another person in Bahrain, but was apprehended before I could contact the drug smuggling ring and receive further information.”
A detective described how the defendant was part of an international drug trafficking ring.
“The defendant hid the shabu in a professional way,” the 29-year-old Bahraini told prosecutors.
“He said that he was meant to meet a person in a hotel in Bahrain whom he was ordered to give the narcotics to.
“However, we arrested him after authorities suspected his behaviour.
“The narcotics were placed in a rubber padding and strapped to his legs, which makes it hard for authorities to find.
“His luggage did not contain any narcotics.”
The trial has been adjourned until Monday for review.
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