THREE alleged high-level drug dealers have been accused at the High Criminal Court of ‘working for an international gang’ responsible for smuggling narcotics into the country.
A drug-using grandma, caught up with one of the defendants, is being tried in the same case for allegedly using meth and hashish, and has begged judges for mercy, claiming to be the one who financially supports her children and grandchildren.
Prosecutors charged the main trio – a Bahraini, Lebanese and Pakistani – with possessing and selling heroin and synthetic cannabinoids, and the latter two were also charged with selling hashish and meth.
The 46-year-old Bahraini woman was arrested when she was out with her ‘friend’, the first defendant, as he went to meet with another alleged accomplice to make a narcotics trade.
The 37-year-old Bahraini man faces further charges of possessing heroin, morphine and synthetic cannabinoids (CBD oil) for personal use.
He was described by detectives as the one who sourced narcotics from suppliers, then distributed them to other dealers so they can re-sell them.
“The first defendant receives, stores, divides, promotes and sells drugs using dead mail, and keeps some for himself,” an Anti-Narcotics Directorate officer earlier testified.
“He works for a number of networks, including ones headed by the second and third defendants, as well as networks led by two people who were not found.”
Another officer recounted how the 37-year-old jobless man was tailed by policemen as he was allegedly placing ‘dead drops’ around town.
When he was arrested, the middle-aged Bahraini woman was seen in the car with him, ‘appearing to be high’, according to the officer, and she too was also taken into custody.
In the vehicle, authorities allegedly found 200 papers saturated with unregulated CBD oil, while nearly 28.67gm of powdered heroin was found in his house.
He admitted to selling and using drugs, stating that he buys his stock from the 26-year-old Lebanese and the 31-year-old Pakistani.
Records show that the Pakistani labourer was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison, and fined BD3,000, in a drug case. He and the Lebanese salesman are standing trial in absentia, though the reason for their no-show at court has not been given.
In Public Prosecution questioning, the 46-year-old grandmother admitted that the Bahraini gave her meth for free.
“I’m innocent, your Honours,” she stated in a hand-written letter submitted to judges. “I’m unrelated to the incident at hand. My co-defendant admitted that I know nothing about this.
“I’m a mother, grandmother and the breadwinner in my family. During my 3.5 months in jail, I lost my job, and my debts and expenses began to pile up.
“I am very regretful about what I did. I learned from my mistakes, and my time in jail taught me faith. Please have mercy on me.”
She also recounted that on the day she got arrested, she was out with her co-defendant to get dinner, when he suddenly changed course to meet with his friend ‘for an emergency’.
The arrests followed and the two tested positive for having narcotics in their systems, after urine samples were analysed by an Interior Ministry lab.
Judges adjourned the hearing to November 11, for lawyers to submit their defence to the court.
&uuid=(email))