Latest news with #FirstHighCriminalCourt
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Asian man imprisoned for 15 years for drug trafficking
An Asian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined BD5,000 for trafficking in drugs. The First High Criminal Court ordered his deportation once the term is served and ruled that the seized items be confiscated. The case began after the Anti-Narcotics Directorate was informed of a parcel sent from an African country and arriving via Bahrain International Airport. When a customs officer scanned it, the image revealed clothing concealing drugs, packed with care to disguise their presence. The directorate prepared an operation to arrest the person who came to collect it. The defendant turned up to receive the package and was detained along with his car. Both were handed to the Anti-Narcotics Directorate. A search of his vehicle and home uncovered marijuana and a precision scale He admitted that he had taken delivery of the shipment at the request of another man. Investigations pointed to an organised group smuggling drugs into Bahrain. Profit According to the findings, the operation was led by a man who arranged for large quantities to be brought in and sold for profit, with the defendant acting as the receiver, storekeeper and distributor. A laboratory report confirmed that the seized material contained a controlled substance. Examination of the defendant's phone found images and videos of drugs along with a precision scale.
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Four Convicted in Bahrain for Trafficking and Abusing Foreign Worker
The First High Criminal Court sentenced four defendants to five years in prison each and fined them 2,000 Bahraini dinars. They were also ordered to cover the costs of returning the victim to her home country and to be permanently banned from Bahrain after serving their sentences. The court ruled after the four were found guilty of forcing a young woman into prostitution and making money from her under coercion. According to the victim's testimony after escaping, she came to Bahrain with the help of the first defendant to work as a hairdresser. She obtained a work visa and bought her travel ticket herself. Upon arrival, the first and second defendants met her, took her passport, and forced her to work as a prostitute for clients in exchange for money. When she refused and asked to return home, they physically assaulted her and threatened to send her to jail. Later, they moved her to another apartment guarded by the second and third defendants, where they continued to force her into prostitution under threat and pressure. Security investigations confirmed the victim's report, leading to the arrest of the defendants. The public prosecution charged them with human trafficking, forcing the victim into prostitution through coercion, threats, and deception while she was in a vulnerable state and unable to freely consent. They also unlawfully deprived her of her freedom by holding her against her will. The court found that the defendants relied entirely on the money they earned from exploiting the victim.
Gulf Insider
04-08-2025
- Gulf Insider
Bahrain: Court Acquits Man In Drug Case, Hands 15-Year Sentence To Second Defendant
The First High Criminal Court has acquitted an African man in a drug trafficking case after he cooperated with authorities, while sentencing the second defendant to 15 years in prison and a BD5,000 fine. The court also ordered the confiscation of the drugs and the deportation of the convicted man after serving his sentence. The case dates back to December 4, 2020, when a customs officer at Bahrain International Airport suspected two suitcases arriving from an African country contained illegal substances. After scanning the bags, customs officers marked them for a thorough inspection. When the first defendant was stopped at the red inspection channel and questioned, he denied carrying anything to declare. However, a detailed search revealed four plastic-wrapped bundles containing 37 smaller packages of dried plant material, which laboratory tests confirmed to be marijuana, weighing a total of 9.63 kilograms. The suspect and the seized drugs were handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Directorate. During questioning, the first defendant said he did not know the bags contained drugs and that he was asked to deliver them to someone in Bahrain. He cooperated with investigators, allowing them to monitor his calls to the recipient. In a planned operation, the second defendant arrived at the first man's residence early in the morning, driving a car with a woman as a passenger. The woman approached the house, and authorities arrested the second defendant. The court ruled that the first defendant's cooperation fulfilled the conditions for legal exemption from punishment. Meanwhile, the second defendant received a 15-year sentence, a BD5,000 fine, and a deportation order.
Daily Tribune
04-08-2025
- Daily Tribune
Court Acquits Man in Drug Case, Hands 15-Year Sentence to Second Defendant
The First High Criminal Court has acquitted an African man in a drug trafficking case after he cooperated with authorities, while sentencing the second defendant to 15 years in prison and a BD5,000 fine. The court also ordered the confiscation of the drugs and the deportation of the convicted man after serving his sentence. The case dates back to December 4, 2020, when a customs officer at Bahrain International Airport suspected two suitcases arriving from an African country contained illegal substances. After scanning the bags, customs officers marked them for a thorough inspection. When the first defendant was stopped at the red inspection channel and questioned, he denied carrying anything to declare. However, a detailed search revealed four plastic-wrapped bundles containing 37 smaller packages of dried plant material, which laboratory tests confirmed to be marijuana, weighing a total of 9.63 kilograms. The suspect and the seized drugs were handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Directorate. During questioning, the first defendant said he did not know the bags contained drugs and that he was asked to deliver them to someone in Bahrain. He cooperated with investigators, allowing them to monitor his calls to the recipient. In a planned operation, the second defendant arrived at the first man's residence early in the morning, driving a car with a woman as a passenger. The woman approached the house, and authorities arrested the second defendant. The court ruled that the first defendant's cooperation fulfilled the conditions for legal exemption from punishment. Meanwhile, the second defendant received a 15-year sentence, a BD5,000 fine, and a deportation order.
Daily Tribune
28-07-2025
- Daily Tribune
Expat Employed for 13 Years at EWA with Fake Engineering Degree.
A 45-year-old Asian man managed to secure a government job and rise through the ranks at Bahrain's Electricity and Water Authority using a fake university degree from a non-existent American institution, it has been revealed. The man was employed for 13 years—from 2010 to 2023—as an electrical engineer at the authority. His starting salary of BD 1,300 eventually increased to BD 2,208 following a promotion to head of the electrical switches group in 2022. The deception came to light after the Ministry of Education received a request to verify the man's academic credentials. Upon investigation, it was found that the so-called university that issued his electrical engineering degree did not appear in the U.S. list of accredited universities for 2023—and, in fact, does not exist at all. According to court records, the man knowingly used the forged degree to apply for the engineering position and later had the certificate stamped 'certified true copy' by an unsuspecting government employee. This stamp gave the document official status, which allowed it to be accepted for hiring and contract renewal purposes over the years. The case has now reached the First High Criminal Court, which has scheduled August 26 to issue a verdict. An official at the Electricity and Water Authority explained during the investigation that the degree was accepted in good faith, as it appeared legitimate and carried the official stamp. The contract was renewed multiple times without suspicion. Meanwhile, a senior education specialist at the Ministry of Education confirmed that the fake degree came under review after a formal request for verification was submitted. The Ministry then contacted the cultural attaché in Washington through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their response confirmed the alarming truth: the institution in question simply doesn't exist. The Public Prosecution has charged the man with using a forged document, falsifying academic records, and deceiving a public institution for personal gain. This case has raised fresh concerns about vetting procedures for academic qualifications in government jobs and could prompt a review of hiring practices in sensitive sectors like utilities.
