Five expatriates were yesterday sentenced to serve lengthy prison time and have received hefty fines for dealing in drugs including marijuana, hashish and methamphetamine, commonly known as shabu.
A 30-year-old Indian was sentenced to 15 years behind bars and fined BD10,000, while fellow countrymen aged 27 and 25, alongside a 22-year-old Pakistani, have been sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined BD5,000 each.
The remaining individual, a 29-year-old Indian labourer, was sentenced to six months behind bars and fined BD100 for his part in the operation.
According to court documents, their drug dealing was uncovered on May 1, when customs officers caught the 30-year-old attempting to smuggle drugs through Bahrain International Airport.
He had flown into the kingdom from Thailand, after a stopover in Mumbai, and while going through security, he was referred to the red path for further screening.
Customs officers inspected his luggage and found seven plastic bags of food containers filled with 3.35kg of a substance believed to be marijuana. It was later estimated to be worth around BD16,750.
In his possession, they also found BD262 and 2,320 Thai Baht understood to be the proceeds from smuggling the substances.
After inspecting his phone, officers found a hotel booking to a property in Umm Al Hassam and messages from an unknown number. The defendant was arrested on the spot.
Interior Ministry officers took him to the hotel and told him to get in touch with the caller. Instead, he received messages and calls from a foreign number, telling him to send a photograph of the bag used to smuggle in the drugs.
He was then instructed to head to a Thai restaurant in the area at around 2.30am and to put the bag on a specific table.
With the officers in the shadows, he followed the instructions and, minutes later, a car stopped in front of the restaurant, and the 27-year-old stepped out of it.
He looked at his phone, studied a photograph of the 30-year-old defendant, and then approached the restaurant.
He was about to take the bag when the officers swooped on him. After being questioned, the 27-year-old stated that he was following orders from a man from India.
His job was to receive the package and take it to the Seef area for further instructions.
Accompanied by the officers, the defendants headed to the location they were given, where they received a code via WhatsApp for opening the lock of the bag, completely unaware that it was already cracked.
They were told to take out the contents of the bag and put them in a specific spot and then take photographs as proof.
After some time had passed, a car came up to the location, driven by the 25-year-old with his 22-year-old accomplice.
The duo then inspected the contents of the bag, after which the officers immediately arrested them. The Pakistani man tried to run away but he was quickly caught and apprehended.
They were taken to the station, where after further investigations, they discovered that the group was part of a network in Bahrain that sold drugs.
They also discovered that a fifth individual, described as a 29-year-old Indian labourer from Isa Town, was also involved in the distribution and sale of the drugs.
The last defendant was arrested and the case was then sent to the Public Prosecution and referred for trial at the High Criminal Court yesterday.
All individuals will be deported following the completion of their sentences.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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