A Doha Criminal Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for attempting to smuggle some 22kg of hashish into the country.
He was also fined QR300,000 on charges of drug smuggling, according to local Arabic daily Al Sharq.
The young man was arrested at the Abu Samra border post while trying to enter Qatar. During a search of his car, a Customs officer found the contraband hidden inside the spare tyre in the rear of the vehicle.
However, the defendant denied having any knowledge of the hashish, the daily said.
Besides drug smuggling, it was also proved - through a blood test - that the man used to consume narcotics.
The court convicted him based on the investigation report and material evidence. It ordered confiscation of the drugs as well as the vehicle used in the crime.