Drug money laundering case

Asian man faces money laundering trial

A 26-year-old Asian man is facing trial before the High Criminal Court First Chamber over allegations of laundering more than BD38,000 in proceeds from drug trafficking.

The Public Prosecution alleges that BD38,108.701 was deposited into his bank accounts before being transferred to another person to purchase digital currencies through an international platform. The currencies were then allegedly transferred to the defendant’s accounts to conceal the source of the funds and give them a legitimate appearance.

Investigations reportedly uncovered suspicious P2P digital currency transactions and links to an international drug trafficking network. The court has scheduled August 18 for pleadings.

Human trafficking case

Two women jailed five years for trafficking

The High Criminal Court has sentenced two Asian women to five years in prison and fined each BD2,000 for their involvement in a human trafficking case involving a woman who was forced into prostitution and sexual activities.

The case began after the victim responded to a Facebook job advertisement offering work in Bahrain. Prosecutors said she was brought to Bahrain, had her passport taken and was later forced to provide prostitution and sexual massage services, with the defendants allegedly collecting and supervising the proceeds.

The court also ordered the defendants to cover the cost of returning the victim to her home country and permanently deported them from Bahrain after serving their sentences.

Online betting fraud case

Man acquitted in online betting fraud case

The Lower Criminal Court acquitted an Arab man accused of unlawfully obtaining money from another person through an online football betting game.

The court found no conclusive evidence linking the defendant to the alleged fraud, noting the absence of technical evidence showing that he hacked an information system, obtained the victim’s data or acted with the person responsible for the incident.

The court said the investigation findings were insufficient to establish his guilt and acquitted him of the charge.