Court Acquits Man in Drug Case, Hands 15-Year Sentence to Second Defendant

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

The First High Criminal Court has acquitted an African man in a drug trafficking case after he cooperated with authorities, while sentencing the second defendant to 15 years in prison and a BD5,000 fine. The court also ordered the confiscation of the drugs and the deportation of the convicted man after serving his sentence.

The case dates back to December 4, 2020, when a customs officer at Bahrain International Airport suspected two suitcases arriving from an African country contained illegal substances. After scanning the bags, customs officers marked them for a thorough inspection.

When the first defendant was stopped at the red inspection channel and questioned, he denied carrying anything to declare. However, a detailed search revealed four plastic-wrapped bundles containing 37 smaller packages of dried plant material, which laboratory tests confirmed to be marijuana, weighing a total of 9.63 kilograms. The suspect and the seized drugs were handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Directorate.

During questioning, the first defendant said he did not know the bags contained drugs and that he was asked to deliver them to someone in Bahrain. He cooperated with investigators, allowing them to monitor his calls to the recipient.

In a planned operation, the second defendant arrived at the first man’s residence early in the morning, driving a car with a woman as a passenger. The woman approached the house, and authorities arrested the second defendant.

The court ruled that the first defendant’s cooperation fulfilled the conditions for legal exemption from punishment. Meanwhile, the second defendant received a 15-year sentence, a BD5,000 fine, and a deportation order.