Verdict Set for March 17 for Smuggling Drugs Hidden in Dried Fish and Shrimp

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Manama: The First High Criminal Court has set March 17 as the date for issuing its verdict in a case involving a male and female defendant accused of smuggling narcotics into Bahrain after drugs were discovered concealed in luggage hidden among dried fish and shrimp at Bahrain International Airport.

According to court records, customs officers became suspicious while scanning luggage arriving from an Asian country in 2025. Two suitcases belonging to the defendants were flagged for inspection and diverted from the green channel to the red channel. Both defendants denied carrying any items requiring declaration before the search began.

Upon inspection, officers discovered narcotics concealed inside six transparent bags, hidden within dried fish and shrimp using a sophisticated method intended to evade detection. Similar substances were found in both suitcases.

The Public Prosecution charged the defendants with importing and possessing narcotics with the intent to traffic, in violation of the law. The defendants denied the charges during trial and remain in custody pending the verdict.

During questioning, the male defendant stated that he had received the suitcase from an individual in an Asian country and was instructed to deliver it to another person in Bahrain in exchange for payment. The female defendant gave a similar statement, confirming she had also been asked to transport a suitcase for financial compensation.

Investigations revealed that hotel accommodation had been arranged for the defendants in Bahrain, where an unidentified individual was expected to collect the luggage. Security personnel accompanied the defendants to the hotel, where they contacted the individual, who instructed them to photograph the suitcases and their contents after providing the combinations. He later asked them to leave the luggage in the hotel room, place the key at a specified location and return to the airport, claiming return tickets had been booked for them.

Authorities later discovered that the airline tickets were fake and that communication with the unidentified individual had ceased. The defendants were found in possession of various foreign currencies believed to be proceeds linked to narcotics trafficking.

Through supplementary investigations, authorities concluded that the defendants were part of an organised network involved in smuggling narcotics into Bahrain for distribution and sale, with assistance from other unidentified individuals. Investigators determined that the defendants were aware that the substances they transported were prohibited.

During Public Prosecution questioning, both defendants admitted that they had agreed to transport the luggage in exchange for money, under arrangements made with an unknown individual.

Defence lawyers argued for acquittal, citing lack of knowledge and insufficient evidence, while one defence counsel requested exemption from punishment for the female defendant, claiming she had cooperated with authorities. The court reserved judgment and scheduled the verdict for March 17.