A Saudi drugs dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined BD5,000 for importing unregulated CBD oil, likely to contain toxic ingredients.
The High Criminal Court convicted the 28-year-old of possessing synthetic cannabinoids and hashish with the intention to promote and sell it, and also for personal use.
Judges also ordered to permanently deport him after completing his sentence and to confiscate the 800g of illicit substances that had arrived from Slovenia via airmail.
The court heard that the defendant regularly ordered narcotics from abroad, in order to smuggle them into his home country to make a quick buck.
When the package first arrived in Bahrain, Customs Affairs officers were suspicious of its contents. The box was opened and six plastic containers were found, with a total yield of 823g of hashish inside.
A friend of the defendant’s arrived to pick the package up thinking it contained a shipment of body creams and lotions, the court heard.
Customs Affairs officers obtained a warrant from the Public Prosecution to search and arrest the defendent after hearing from informants that he lived in a hotel in the Seef District.
A stash of liquid CBD oil was discovered scattered around his room, as well as two iPhones. Three electronic cigarettes were reportedly found on his person, along with 500 Saudi Riyals (BD50), thought to be revenue generated from selling narcotics.
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