Two expatriates are standing trial at the High Criminal Court for allegedly dealing in methamphetamine, commonly known as shabu.
The Pakistani men, which include a 25-year-old driver from Manama and a 22-year-old construction worker from Budaiya, were allegedly caught in the act by officers while performing a dead drop delivery in the early hours of the morning.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on August 21 at around 6.30am, when officers were patrolling Ras Rumman’s Block 306.
They saw two men, which they described as ‘Asians’ in their report to the Anti-Narcotics Directorate, putting something into the ground in an empty area and taking photographs of the place using their phones.
Suspecting a dead drop delivery of drugs, the officers immediately sprung into action and confronted them before they could leave the area.
The officers took their devices and inspected them. The image of the ground had been sent to an individual via WhatsApp.
They dug up the area and discovered around 24 envelopes filled with crystalline substances, assumed to be shabu.
The men were confronted with the evidence and then taken to Hoora Police Station.
During interviews the men admitted that while their officially registered addresses were in Manama and Budaiya respectively, they actually lived in a residence in Muharraq’s Block 213.
After receiving a search warrant from the Public Prosecution, officers went to the duo’s place of residence and inspected it for drugs.
Following an extensive search, they found a plastic bag filled with crystalline substances, assumed to be shabu, along with two weighing scales in the bedroom, believed to have been used in the drug preparation process.
Further investigations revealed that the duo was part of an extensive drug network that distributed shabu in the kingdom in exchange for money.
The accused were responsible for receiving the drugs from the network, storing and preparing them for distribution.
The men would deal in the substances by using the dead drop method in exchange for money.
Both of them admitted to possessing and distributing drugs and investigators also discovered several WhatsApp conversations and images sent to an undisclosed number regarding the substances.
Laboratory tests later confirmed that the crystalline substances were indeed shabu.
The Anti-Narcotics Directorate then reported the incident to the Public Prosecution, who in turn referred the case for trial at the High Criminal Court.
They are both facing charges relating to the possession of shabu, and dealing in illicit substances in the kingdom.
When questioned by judges, they denied all charges.
The case has been adjourned until later today for further deliberation.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))