10-Year Sentence in Airport Drug Bust

The High Criminal Court has sentenced a defendant to 10 years in prison, fined him BD10,000, and ordered his deportation, while acquitting a second suspect in a drug smuggling case uncovered at Bahrain International Airport.

The case began when a customs officer flagged a suspicious image during routine X-ray screening of a passenger’s luggage. A search revealed narcotics hidden inside food items, including nuts, fruits, and cigarette packs, carefully concealed among clothing to avoid detection.

Authorities from the Anti-Narcotics Directorate launched an investigation, during which the first defendant admitted he had been assigned to deliver the drugs using a “dead drop” method—leaving the package at a prearranged location for collection.

Officers monitored the operation and arrested the second suspect when he arrived at the site and attempted to flee after noticing police presence.

Investigations later linked the individuals to a wider drug trafficking network.