The defendant swallowed 66 capsules containing amphetamine along with other illegal drugs.

A man was sentenced to five years in jail and subsequent deportation by a Doha Criminal Court for attempting to smuggle contraband drugs while entering the country.

The defendant arrived at Hamad International Airport [HIA] and was immediately taken to Al Wakra Hospital for further examination after screening by the customs officers showed something strange inside his intestines.

Later on, the officers found out that the man tried to smuggle drugs in an unusual way. 

Before leaving his country of origin, the defendant swallowed 66 capsules containing amphetamine, in addition to heroin and other drugs, totalling 474.7gm. When attempting to pass the gate, the drugs appeared through HIA’s screening machines, prompting officers to take the man to the hospital where doctors later extracted the contraband.

Read also: WhatsApp drug dealer sentenced to five years in jail.

Upon interrogating, the man confessed that the drugs were given to him by another individual in exchange for a sum of money. He told officers that he had swallowed  the capsules three hours before he boarded the aircraft to Qatar. Authorities confiscated all the seized substances and put him on trial.

The defendant had a one month visit visa, according to his file. 

After examining the case, the court deemed him guilty and ordered him to pay a fine of QR300,000, in addition to a five year jail term; following which, the defendant will be deported.

The customs authority has been keeping a closer eye on drug smuggling attempts seizing illegal goods on numerous occasions in recent months.

Earlier this week, an expat was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for dealing drugs through WhatsApp, according to Qatar’s Criminal Court.

The unidentified dealer was found with 32 packets of hashish and 70 capsules used to treat nerve pain with a dangerous psychoactive substance. 

In August alone, authorities recorded a total of 557  successful missions, where they managed to compound large quantities of illegal drugs.

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