A verdict date has been set in the trial of an elderly disabled woman who has been accused of smuggling 5.3kg of narcotics into the country.
The 68-year-old Pakistani housewife was arrested after customs officers found methamphetamine in her luggage after arriving on a flight from Karachi in June this year.
Two brown-coloured plastic bags were allegedly concealed ‘artfully’, inside the lining of the suitcases, and wrapped with tape.
Her Bahraini lawyer argued before judges that the expatriate, who moves around on a wheelchair, could not have knowingly smuggled the drugs due to her frailty and old age.
She also claimed that the woman was ‘exploited by professional criminals’ seeking to smuggle drugs into the kingdom.
“This woman has been exploited,” the female lawyer told judges.
“She was given this bag and had no idea what was inside it – she only discovered it had drugs when it was too late.
“It’s unimaginable that she would be able to carry such a heavy bag on her own,” she said.
The lawyer further alleged that it was easy for anyone to tamper with the luggage as the elderly woman was unable to lift it.
She appealed to judges to show consideration to the disabled woman, claiming that she was recovering from a leg operation and suffered from hereditary illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
In a memorandum submitted to the court earlier in the trial, the Bahraini argued that the defendant was a victim of ‘professional criminals’ and was unaware that she was transporting drugs.
She cited a law that criminalises drug possession only if suspects knew exactly what they were possessing.
“Not only does the defendant have no criminal motive or history of criminal behaviour, she also does not consume drugs, which has been proven as no traces of narcotics were detected in her urine,” the lawyer said.
The GDN earlier reported that airport authorities discovered the alleged smuggling bid during a routine screening of incoming baggages.
A customs employee told prosecutors that he was scanning luggage from Karachi when he noticed suspicious materials in two bags. He immediately alerted customs officers to search the luggage after it was picked up by the concerned passenger.
The Public Prosecution has called for ‘the maximum penalty’ for the alleged offence committed by the woman.
“Not a speck of mercy should be afforded to the defendant – her actions hurt the nation, citizens and residents alike, which is what we swore to protect with all our might,” the prosecution’s statement said.
“Crimes such as this have an impact that affects all of society and attacks the one thing it holds most valuable: its youth.”
Meanwhile, an Anti-Narcotics Directorate officer testified that the defendant ‘exploited her age and disability to avoid security procedures.’
The officer claimed that the defendant was part of an organised network of drug traffickers and she ‘used her condition to go through fewer security procedures’.
The verdict will be issued on Thursday, which will be the last working day of this month.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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