Man jailed for drug use after trafficking charge dropped

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A man in his thirties has been cleared of dealing synthetic cannabis but sentenced to three years in prison for drug use, after a court found no firm evidence to support claims he was selling narcotics.

The High Criminal Court also fined him BD1,000 and ordered the confiscation of items recovered during the investigation.

The verdict followed submissions by lawyer Dalal Al Thawadi, who argued there was nothing in the case file to show her client had intended to sell drugs.

No transaction was witnessed, and no substances were found on him for that purpose.

The incident took place in Juffair, where a corporal from the Drug Enforcement Division noticed the man behaving oddly and carrying a black backpack.

When the officer approached, the man dropped the bag and fled, vanishing from sight.

Inside the backpack, police found 13 plastic vials and a syringe containing a clear liquid, which later tested positive for synthetic cannabis.

Medical capsules

The bag also contained 42 medical capsules filled with pregabalin, nine more vials with methamphetamine, a black digital scale, a glass pipe and a collection of transparent plastic bags.

A warrant for his arrest was issued on 19 November 2024.

He was detained by police on 23 February 2025, carrying BD215 and SAR1,210 in cash.

Urine sample

Tests carried out on his urine sample showed the presence of cannabis, methamphetamine and pregabalin.

He later admitted in questioning that he used both cannabis and methamphetamine, which he said he bought from a Pakistani man through dead drop exchanges.

The court said it found no reason to accept the charge of drug dealing.

Synthetic cannabis

It pointed out that the synthetic cannabis found in his bag weighed 307.36 grams, including the packaging.

This quantity, the court said, did not by itself amount to proof of intent to sell.

The scale contained no traces of any drug, and the police witness who claimed the man was involved in drug trafficking provided no supporting evidence.

The court ruled that police reports alone could not form the basis for a conviction, and that witness opinion needed to be backed by material proof.

Evidence

It added that it is for the court to decide which parts of the evidence it trusts and which it does not.

Although it dismissed the trafficking charge, the court found the man guilty of using controlled substances.

He was convicted based on his own admissions and the laboratory test results, and will serve a custodial sentence.