Three-Year Sentence in Onion Shipment Smuggling Case

TDT | Manama

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A Bahraini appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence and deportation order against an Asian man convicted of smuggling a prohibited tobacco product concealed inside an onion shipment.

The First Circuit of the High Criminal Court of Appeal also confirmed financial penalties, including a BD 3,985 fine, additional taxes amounting to 19,925 dinars, and the confiscation of the seized goods.

The case dates back to a customs inspection at a maritime port, where officers became suspicious of an onion shipment arriving from an Asian country due to irregularities in appearance. An X-ray scan revealed abnormal internal structures, leading to a detailed inspection.

Authorities discovered 11,110 packets of a prohibited tobacco product, weighing 1,035 kilograms, hidden inside hollowed-out onions.

Investigations showed that the defendant arranged the shipment using a commercial license belonging to a third party to bypass import restrictions. He later admitted to coordinating the arrangement for payment, as he did not have a valid commercial registration in Bahrain.

Customs officials seized the goods and referred the case for legal action, resulting in the upheld conviction and penalties.