FOUR white-collar Bahrainis, including a woman, who used to hang out together to consume drugs have been jailed after they were found guilty of various charges yesterday.
The High Criminal Court convicted the criminal attorney, sales representative, driver and a female wedding photographer of using and trading in nine varieties of drugs and mind-altering agents.
The ragtag group’s ringleader and driver received 15 years in jail and a whopping BD50,000 fine for selling, using and giving away drugs for free. Enlisting his co-defendants to promote his merchandise, the 28-year-old reportedly imported and smuggled large quantities of drugs from Vietnam, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
The 36-year-old licensed lawyer, who reportedly stored drugs in his Manama law office, was sentenced to three years in jail for drug use, but was found innocent of selling charges.
The 30-year-old freelance photographer and single mother, and the 32-year-old sales employee were both sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined BD3,000 for using and selling drugs.
Hashish, methamphetamine (shabu), pregabalin (Lyrica), alprazolam (Xanax), amphetamine (Adderall), diazepam (valium), MDMA, tramadol and methadone were the nine drugs outlined in the case.
Verdict documents state that the lawyer was given a decreased sentence because he informed on his three co-defendants. He led police officers to his two male co-defendants, who were arrested shortly after the interrogation.
“I got shabu and lyrica through dead mail, and bought the hashish from two men I met at my private law practice,” he told the prosecution.
During the trial, he was represented by five lawyers, who were his colleagues in criminal courts.
Meanwhile, the ringleader admitted to importing an assortment of narcotics from overseas and was found guilty of using and trading in nine drugs. According to court documents, he imported CBD oil vape cartridges from Vietnam through a well-known international courier service, paying for it with digital currency.
List
Police reported a long list of contraband found at his residence, including 18 pieces of hashish, two glass containers with hashish oil, and a number of Captagon pills. Three electronic sheesha cartridges, five ampoules of opioid-containing liquid and two plates with traces of narcotics were also found.
The photographer admitted to being in a romantic relationship with the driver, who she said gave her meth and Lyrica for free, and paid all her bills. She said as she was just a freelancer, she decided to help out her co-defendant with running the illicit business, starting a spreadsheet on an online organisation’s website containing all details of the operation.
She also said that all four defendants gathered at the ringleader’s Sanabis apartment where they hung out and consumed drugs.
Although they both told prosecutors that they met in Egypt and spent a lot of time together at the man’s apartment, she denied knowing him in a hand-written letter submitted to judges.
Despite denying any connection with him, both the second and third defendants were represented by the same lawyers. The woman was arrested while attempting to leave Bahrain via King Fahad Causeway.
The GDN earlier reported that the Public Prosecution asked judges to hand the maximum penalty to the defendants.
Traces of drugs were found in their urine samples, the prosecution added.
An investigator first learned about the suspicious activities of the lawyer, who was later charged with selling and using hashish and lyrica.
The detective added that what was suspected to be a dark piece of solid hashish was found in his car along with an assortment of drugs and other paraphernalia. Three more dark pieces were reportedly found in his law office.
The sales employee was charged with selling hashish and using hashish, lyrica, valium and meth. He was also arrested on the causeway and a number of narcotics were found in his residence.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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