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Two fugitives have been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking heroin, hashish, methamphetamine and synthetic cannabinoids (CBD oil).
Another man – a Bahraini who did the expat dealers’ bidding by delivering drugs across the country – was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the High Criminal Court. His girlfriend, a Bahraini grandmother, was sentenced to one year in jail for drug use.
The three male defendants – a Lebanese, a Pakistani and a Bahraini – were each fined BD5,000, while the grandmother was fined BD1,000.
The first two defendants were tried in absentia as they were not in Bahrain to hear the ruling. Public Prosecution documents described them as ‘high-level drug dealers’ operating within a criminal network that smuggles narcotics into the country.
According to the court, the Pakistani defendant had previously been sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined BD3,000 in a separate drugs case.
The 46-year-old Bahraini woman was tried in the same case for using methamphetamine and hashish, and was arrested while under the influence during an outing with her friend, the 37-year-old Bahraini defendant.
Although she pleaded for mercy, claiming to be the one who financially supports her children and grandchildren, she received a regular sentence for recreational use of drugs.
“The court is content with the evidence against the female defendant, and believes that the circumstances of her arrest were valid, since she was with another defendant when he was apprehended,” the verdict read.
“She appeared visibly intoxicated. Additionally, she admitted to consuming drugs, which was supported by drug tests conducted after her arrest.”
She earlier begged judges, in a hand-written letter submitted from prison, to be lenient with her, because she was not involved in selling any illicit substances. She also expressed regret for her actions.
The GDN earlier reported that the 37-year-old Bahraini man was further charged with possessing heroin, morphine and CBD oil for personal use. He was described by detectives as the one who sourced narcotics from suppliers and then distributed them to other dealers so they can re-sell them.
A policeman earlier testified that the defendant ‘stores, divides, promotes and sells drugs using dead mail, and keeps some for himself’.
Another officer recounted how the 37-year-old jobless man was tailed as he was placing ‘dead drops’ around town. ‘Dead drops’ or ‘dead mail’ are a method of drug distribution that involves hiding, or sometimes burying, narcotics in a pre-determined spot for a buyer to later pick up.
When he was arrested, the middle-aged Bahraini woman was seen in the car with him, ‘visibly intoxicated’, according to the policeman, and she was also taken into custody.
In the vehicle, authorities 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 man and the 31-year-old Pakistani.
Both expats were not present at their trial though no specific excuse was given to the court.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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