Court orders mental health assessment for tobacco smuggler

The Criminal Court has ordered the accused in a tobacco smuggling case to undergo a mental health assessment to determine if he is fit to face the trial. Judges adjourned the trial to June 3. The suspect was caught while attempting to smuggle tobacco worth BD25,000 into the Kingdom with the help of his brother in the Customs Department.

The banned substances were found hidden in a shipment of clothes that were being brought to Bahrain through King Fahad Causeway. The driver of the vehicle who got suspicious about the smell coming from the shipment alerted the customs officer, who at first gave the shipment a pass. Following the tip-off, the authorities launched an investigation which led to the arrest of the second suspect who confessed to the crime and revealed his brother’s role.