Latest news with #HighCriminalCourtofAppeal
Daily Tribune
21-05-2025
- Daily Tribune
Man cleared in drug parcel case
An appeals court has overturned a 15-year prison sentence handed to an Asian man accused of drug trafficking after finding the only link to the case was his name written on a parcel. The High Criminal Court of Appeal ruled there was no direct evidence linking him to a parcel sent from Europe, which was found to contain a kilogram of marijuana hidden in toy kits. Judges determined that his name had been used without his knowledge and that no drugs were discovered on him or at his residence. Two other men, however, were not spared, and their convictions were upheld. Sentences Both were sentenced to 15 years in prison, fined BD5,000 each, and ordered to be deported once their sentences are served. All seized items remained in custody. The parcel arrived at Bahrain International Airport in the summer last year. A customs officer working in the postal unit noticed irregularities when it passed through an X-ray scanner. Herbal substance What appeared to be toy assembly kits were hiding two transparent bags containing a green herbal substance. Tests confirmed the substance was marijuana, weighing one kilogram. The parcel was handed over to the anti-narcotics section at the airport. This led to a covert investigation by a captain in the Anti-Narcotics Directorate who concluded that the three defendants were part of a group importing drugs into Bahrain.
Gulf Insider
27-04-2025
- Gulf Insider
Bahrain: Smuggler Caught With Drugs Hidden In Toy Package
Customs officials have foiled an attempt to smuggle nearly two kilogrammes of marijuana into Bahrain, concealed among children's toys in a parcel sent from a European country. The drugs were discovered during a routine inspection of the package, which also contained snacks, makeup, shoes, and clothing intended for women and children. Officers found three clear plastic bags containing a green leafy substance, which laboratory analysis later confirmed to be marijuana. Unaware that the authorities were on to him, the suspect arrived to collect the parcel and was promptly arrested by waiting officers. According to the arrest report, investigators believe the man was not acting alone. He is suspected to be part of a wider network trafficking drugs into Bahrain via air cargo and postal services. His alleged role was to receive the narcotics and pass them along to others in the group. The seized marijuana weighed just under two kilogrammes. A urine test conducted on the suspect tested positive for methamphetamine. Originally from an Asian country, the man claimed during questioning that the package was sent by someone abroad who had used his name, and that he was only asked to collect it. However, during his remand hearing, he reportedly admitted to both selling and using drugs. He was later convicted by the criminal court, which sentenced him to 15 years in prison, fined him BD5,000, and ordered his deportation. He is now appealing the verdict. The High Criminal Court of Appeal has adjourned the case to April 27 to allow time for a defence lawyer to be appointed.
Daily Tribune
26-04-2025
- Daily Tribune
Smuggler caught with drugs hidden in toy package
Customs officials have foiled an attempt to smuggle nearly two kilogrammes of marijuana into Bahrain, concealed among children's toys in a parcel sent from a European country. The drugs were discovered during a routine inspection of the package, which also contained snacks, makeup, shoes, and clothing intended for women and children. Officers found three clear plastic bags containing a green leafy substance, which laboratory analysis later confirmed to be marijuana. Unaware that the authorities were on to him, the suspect arrived to collect the parcel and was promptly arrested by waiting officers. According to the arrest report, investigators believe the man was not acting alone. He is suspected to be part of a wider network trafficking drugs into Bahrain via air cargo and postal services. His alleged role was to receive the narcotics and pass them along to others in the group. The seized marijuana weighed just under two kilogrammes. A urine test conducted on the suspect tested positive for methamphetamine. Originally from an Asian country, the man claimed during questioning that the package was sent by someone abroad who had used his name, and that he was only asked to collect it. However, during his remand hearing, he reportedly admitted to both selling and using drugs. He was later convicted by the criminal court, which sentenced him to 15 years in prison, fined him BD5,000, and ordered his deportation. He is now appealing the verdict. The High Criminal Court of Appeal has adjourned the case to April 27 to allow time for a defence lawyer to be appointed.
Daily Tribune
13-04-2025
- Daily Tribune
Five-year jail term for women who trafficked job seeker
Tempted to Bahrain with promises of restaurant work, an Asian woman found herself trapped in prostitution, and now her two captors face five years behind bars. The High Criminal Court of Appeal backed the jail terms handed down earlier, along with a BD2,000 fine for each offender, and ruled both would be deported after serving their time. Court papers revealed how the victim responded to an advert on social media while still at home, expecting a decent job opportunity abroad. After agreeing terms with one of the accused, who pledged accommodation and airfare to Bahrain, to be taken from future wages, the woman travelled to the Gulf.
Daily Tribune
11-04-2025
- Daily Tribune
Stolen cards used to pay BD50,000 in tax bills
A fraudster used stolen bank cards from Asia to pay BD50,000 in tax bills for a Bahraini construction firm through the government's own website before pocketing BD300 from a woman's account. He has been jailed for five years, fined BD5,000, and will be deported after serving his sentence. The High Criminal Court of Appeal upheld the original ruling, which found the 34-year-old Asian man guilty of using someone else's bank card in Bahrain to buy crypto and withdraw cash. He also paid a large sum in tax arrears on behalf of a local company using multiple cards taken from abroad. Digital ID Prosecutors said he had worked with unknown others to misuse another person's digital ID and get into their account without permission. He is also accused of tampering with the system to take money from the same victim. A fraud specialist at an international card firm told the court that her team had spotted unusual payments tied to several cards issued in an Asian country. These were used to settle tax dues through the government's online portal.
