A woman sentenced to six months in prison for drug-related offences has had her appeal rejected by the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court after failing to appear for the hearing.
The 33-year-old Bahraini housewife was arrested last year alongside three others – a 48-year-old Bahraini man from Isa Town, a 37-year-old man Bahraini man from Salmabad (both retirees), and a 39-year-old Russian woman.
All of them were charged with possessing and selling illicit substances including hashish, synthetic cannabinoids, methamphetamine (commonly known as shabu) and pregabalin.
The 48-year-old was also charged with unauthorised possession of a taser.
Court documents state that authorities went to the 48-year-old’s home in Isa Town on August 5 last year to confront him, as he was wanted in connection with previous theft-related offences. Upon arrival, officers saw him entering the residence accompanied by a 37-year-old man. Both were arrested after the latter was allegedly caught attempting to dispose of a substance suspected to be related to drugs.
Following his arrest, the 48-year-old requested permission to feed his dogs. Officers agreed and proceeded with him to the roof of the house.
During their search, officers entered a room where they found a 33-year-old Bahraini housewife and a 39-year-old Russian woman, allegedly in possession of narcotics. A search of the room led to the seizure of several items, including plastic containers containing an unidentified substance, vapes, glass bottles, metal containers, medical tablets and a mobile phone.
Investigations later identified the suspects and revealed that the 48-year-old allegedly received hashish and prepared it for sale with assistance from the 37-year-old. He is also accused of purchasing shabu using dead-drop locations and reselling it, along with other drugs and psychedelic substances, to individuals visiting his house in Isa Town.
The following day, officers from the Anti-Narcotics Directorate conducted a thorough search of the premises after securing permission from the Public Prosecution.
They seized a taser – which the 48-year-old was not authorised to possess – along with 22 medical tablets, five glass bottles containing traces of an unknown substance, plastic containers in yellow and black, 13 electronic cigarette devices, two vapes, 16 electronic cigarette heads and scissors.
Laboratory analysis later confirmed that the substances recovered included hashish, synthetic cannabinoids, shabu and pregabalin.
The case was referred to the High Criminal Court, where the defendants stood trial in April this year.
During the proceedings, the 48-year-old admitted to the charges against him, including possession and sale of narcotics. The housewife told the court that she had purchased methamphetamine from the retiree, while a Russian defendant said she had visited his residence to obtain the drugs.
On April 28, the court sentenced the 48-year-old to 10 years in prison and fined him BD5,000 for drug-related offences, in addition to one month in jail and a BD50 fine for possessing the taser.
The 37-year-old was sentenced to one year in prison and fined BD1,000, while both the housewife and the Russian defendant were handed six-month prison terms and fined BD100 each.
The expat will be deported after completing her sentence.
Last month, the housewife lodged an appeal against the ruling; however, it was dismissed due to her failure to attend the hearing.
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