Verdict set for 13 January in airport hashish smuggling case

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

An ‘X’ mark on a suitcase at Bahrain International Airport has set a 13 January deadline for the High Criminal Court to rule on the case of a 24-year-old Asian mechanic accused of bringing hashish into the country and carrying other controlled drugs.

Prosecutors say the defendant, described as a mechanical fitter, brought in and held cannabis (hashish) for dealing during 2025.

He is also accused of bringing in and holding morphine and the psychoactive substances pregabalin and clonazepam for use, in ways not allowed by law.

The case dates back to 24 August, when a customs officer told the court he was screening bags arriving from an Asian country.

He said one suitcase raised his suspicions on the X-ray, so he placed the agreed ‘X’ mark for a closer search.

The officer said the defendant was asked if he had anything to declare and replied that he did not. When the suitcase was opened, the officer said he found tobacco material suspected to be a narcotic substance weighing 2.2kg, along with 29 capsules suspected to be a psychoactive substance and 30 tablets hidden between folds of clothing.

Police inquiries, backed by confidential sources, said the defendant had brought the items and knew they were in his bag, and that they were banned from entry into Bahrain, the court heard.

According to the case file, the defendant admitted bringing the seized items from an Asian country for friends living with him.

The haul was said to include 399 packets containing narcotic material and hashish.