Doha
The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling of the Criminal Court to sentence an Asian drug smuggler to 12 years in jail and a fine of QR500,000.
Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported that the convict was proven guilty of attempting to smuggle opium and hashish from another Asian country by sea into Qatar.
Two other accomplices were also sentenced to six months in jail and a fine of QR11,000 each.
The convicts were trying to smuggle their cargo in a boat when a strong wind blew, forcing them to anchor their boat near Hawar Island.
Then, a coastal guard patrol passed by them and asked why they were anchored there. When the boatmen cited the rough weather conditions, the patrol asked them to follow to a safer place.
However, as they followed the patrol boat, one of the convicts threw a package into the sea, which made the guards suspicious. The guards fished out the package which turned out to be illicit drugs, the daily added.