Bahrain: Lavender-Sprayed Clothes Fail To Mask Drug Haul; Smuggler Jailed For 15 Years
An Asian man in his thirties has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined BD5,000 for attempting to smuggle nearly four kilogrammes of marijuana into Bahrain using a suitcase packed with lavender-sprayed clothes to disguise the drug's scent. The court also ordered the confiscation of his luggage and his permanent deportation following the completion of his sentence.
The man was arrested at Bahrain International Airport after a customs officer noticed irregularities during a routine luggage scan. Inside the suitcase were twelve plastic-wrapped parcels concealed among folded clothing, emitting a strong scent of cannabis despite the lavender spray. The total weight of the drugs was 3.9 kilogrammes. When questioned, the defendant claimed the suitcase belonged to someone from his home country and said he had been instructed to deliver it to an unnamed person in Bahrain. The matter was handed over to the Drug Control Directorate.
Investigations revealed he was acting as part of a smuggling network, tasked with transporting the shipment into Bahrain for onward distribution. He later confessed to knowing the contents of the bag and said he had agreed to the job in return for 20,000 rupees. Further evidence was uncovered on his mobile phone, including messages about using lavender to mask the smell and photos and videos showing marijuana being packed into the suitcase — all taken by the accused. Lab analysis confirmed the seized material was narcotic.
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