Expat sentenced to life imprisonment for smuggling drugs

Muscat: An expatriate has been sentenced to life imprisonment for possession and smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances with the intention of trafficking.

Public Prosecution said in a statement: "The Court of Appeal convicted an expat accused of possession and smuggling of narcotic substances and psychotropic substances with the intention of trafficking as well as for abuse of narcotic substances, entering the country illegally by infiltration."

The court ruled that the accused be imprisoned, all seized items be confiscated and that he be deported after serving the sentence.

PP added: "Investigations revealed that the accused entered the Sultanate surreptitiously by sea, on a fishing boat loaded with a quantity of narcotic substances amounting to 16 cans of hashish, 10 ten packages of heroin, and two boxes of psychotropic substances. He was able to offload the quantity and hide it in a mountainous area, so he caught the accused, investigated him, and then he was transferred in custody to the competent court."