Drug smuggling: Man gets a lifer

Manama

A 26-year-old Bahraini who smuggled two kg of hashish from Saudi Arabia has been sent to life in prison. The defendant was also fined BD5,000 by the High Criminal Court for his crime which was reported to police by his father. The latter informed the authorities after seeing two pieces of hashish in his son's room. 

 Anti-drug squads inspected the home and arrested the defendant, who was initially suspected of consuming drugs only. However, further investigations found that the defendant was a drug smuggler and peddler besides using drugs for recreational purposes.

 The defendant during interrogation admitted to smuggling drugs from Saudi Arabia, attributing it to financial needs.

 "I built an apartment, for which I took a loan. But I spent most of it on drugs. So I needed extra funds to complete the construction of the apartment. I applied for a new loan, but my application was rejected," the defendant said in his statement. "I contacted a Saudi friend, who I met in a disco in Bahrain. I asked him to give me hashish to sell it in Bahrain.” 

 "We met in King Fahad Causeway and I managed to smuggle it into Bahrain. I sold a quarter kilo gram of hashish for BD400 and another half kilo gram at a cost of BD1000," he revealed.

 The defendant was arrested in 2014, and was charged with drug consumption and peddling.