4 Asians Convicted of Laundering BD482,199

Money from drug trafficking moved through bank accounts

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Four Asian defendants were involved in laundering BD482,199 obtained from drug trafficking by receiving and transferring the money through bank accounts inside and outside Bahrain and carrying out financial transactions to make it appear to have come from a legitimate source.

The four defendants were part of a larger network involved in drug trafficking. Some members of the network sold and distributed drugs, while others received the proceeds and transferred the money abroad as apparently legitimate funds.

The money involved in the case came from drug sales carried out by other defendants.

The Drug Crimes Unit at the Public Prosecution investigated the drug trafficking offences. The National Financial Intelligence Centre also traced the money's movement and found that the four defendants, along with two others, were involved in money laundering.

The Financial and Money Laundering Crimes Prosecution then investigated the case. Investigators froze the defendants’ bank accounts and followed the money's movement, including its source and destination.

Investigators also examined messages and audio recordings found on the defendants’ phones concerning drug sale and supply, as well as documents showing money receipt and transfer.

The defendants were questioned and confronted with the evidence gathered during the investigation.

The investigation found that the four defendants had formed a criminal network and carried out financial and banking transactions to hide the money's source obtained from drug trafficking.

The Fifth High Criminal Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s ruling, sentencing the four defendants to five years in prison.

Each defendant was fined BD100,000 and ordered to be permanently deported after serving the sentence.

The court also ordered the confiscation of BD211,223 from the first defendant’s money and property, BD155,906.294 from the second defendant, BD77,910.929 from the third defendant and BD37,159.220 from the fourth defendant.