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Judges handed down prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years in three criminal cases involving the sale and distribution of drugs.
In one case, the High Criminal Court sentenced two men to 15 years in prison and fined them BD5,000 each for selling, promoting and distributing hashish and methamphetamine.
The Pakistanis were caught while stashing away dead drops and documenting their locations for customers to find later.
“On-duty policemen saw the defendants in a suspicious state at 6.30am, with one appearing to be hiding an object in a public place, and another taking photographs of it with his phone,” read the verdict.
“They were stopped and searched, and officers found 24 rolls containing a crystalised substance. In their bedroom, authorities found a large, dark piece of a herbal substance, and another bag of crystal meth.”
Prosecutors said investigations uncovered the defendants’ participation in a drug network, in which their role was to receive wholesale quantities of narcotics, and then divide, store, promote and distribute them for profit.
In the second case, a 24-year-old mechanic – identified only as ‘Asian’ – who attempted to smuggle more than 2kg of hashish in his suitcase was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined BD10,000.
The expat admitted to bringing the 399 bags of hashish ‘for his housemates in labour accommodation’.
He also possessed morphine, pregabalin (Lyrica) and clonazepam (Klonopin) for personal use, bringing a total of 59 pills with him, hidden between clothes in his suitcase.
The smuggling attempt was busted through routine screening of incoming suitcases as he arrived in Bahrain on a plane from his home country.
A Customs Affairs officer flagged the bag when he detected suspicious contents, marking it with an ‘X’ symbol to be further searched by other officers. When asked if he had anything to declare, the defendant reportedly said no, but policemen found otherwise.
These drugs were identified in his system through a urine test.
In the last case, the High Criminal Court sentenced a Pakistani man to 10 years in prison and fined him BD5,000 after he was found in possession of large quantities of methamphetamine and synthetic cannabinoids.
The 23-year-old was noticed by patrolling policemen, sitting in a car parked on the side of the road, accompanied by another individual.
According to police testimony, the man appeared anxious, with visibly shaking hands, and was observed sending a voice message in a foreign language — shortly after transmitting a location pin.
“When we approached him, he attempted to flee,” a policeman testified.
“He was chased and apprehended after briefly resisting. A container filled with a yellow liquid was found on him.”
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered additional substances identified as synthetic cannabinoids. Officers then searched his residence – an apartment rented in his name – where they discovered large quantities of methamphetamine and various types of synthetic cannabinoids, as well as packaging materials used for distributing the drugs.
A detective added that the man, just like the defendants in the first case, appeared to be working for a larger network of drug traffickers, and his job was to receive and disseminate narcotics for profit.
In all three cases, judges ruled to confiscate the illicit substances and deport the defendants after completing their sentences.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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