Expat Paid Counterfeit Money To Smuggle Drugs Into Bahrain
An Asian man paid the price for agreeing to smuggle narcotics from his country to Bahrain twice. In addition to receiving a life sentence from the Criminal Court, he discovered, following his arrest, that the money he was paid for the smuggling operation was counterfeit foreign currency.
The court acquitted him of the charge of possession of counterfeit currency with the intent of circulation since it is inconceivable that he would accept getting paid in counterfeit money had he known it. The defendant entered the country through the Bahrain International Airport from Pakistan.
When passing through customs, he was searched upon suspicion of the first witness, but nothing was found on his person. The customs officer transferred him to the X-ray room where it was found that his bowels contained capsules suspected of containing narcotics.
He was referred to the Anti-Narcotics Directorate. Upon questioning, the defendant admitted to swallowing capsules containing narcotic substances with the intention of smuggling them to the Kingdom. He was transferred to Salmaniya Hospital where he passed 52 capsules stuffed with heroin.
He confessed that someone in his country offered him the job in exchange for 100,000 rupees while bearing all travel costs and offering an advance payment of $1,100. The Anti-Narcotics Directorate revealed that the defendant works within a drug smuggling and trafficking network targeting Bahrain.
Laboratory tests proved that the capsules contained heroin and meth, while a urine sample was found to contain cannabis and diazepam. The dollars in the defendant’s possession were found to be counterfeit.
The Public Prosecution charged him with unauthorised procurement and possession of heroin and meth with intent to sell, as well as the unauthorised abuse of cannabis and diazepam. He was also charged with possession of counterfeit currency for the purpose of circulation.
