The Court of Appeal has upheld the ruling of a criminal court to sentence three persons to 20 years in jail and a fine of QR300,000 each in addition to subsequent deportation for being convicted of smuggling big amounts of the illicit drug hashish into the country.
Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported that according to the papers of the case the convicts were involved in importing big amounts of Hashish and amphetamine into the country by sea. While they were trying to smuggle the drugs near Ras Lafan by a motorized boat, they were spotted by the coastal guard. The coastal guard personnel were able to control the situation and arrested them while they were trying to dispose of some amounts of the drugs throwing into the sea. However, an amount of 15 kgs of Hashish was found with them in addition to some amphetamine and a tracking device.
One of the convicts admitted at the interrogation that the seized drugs belonged to them and they were trying to hid them into a hole near the beach to sell them later at the local market. Another convict said that they had agreed with another person from a neighbouring country to transport the cargo of illicit drugs into the Qatari regional waters for a sum of QR10,000 and they will receive the cargo at Al Khor of Al Thakhira beach areas.
Eventually, the case was referred to the criminal court and all the three persons were convicted.
