Jeddah: Mohammed Abdul Waheed , from Hyderabadi who had spent a five-year period in a Saudi jail for “unknowingly” carrying Sleeping Pills in a parcel given to him by an friend of a friend was finally released from Jail and deported to Hyderabad.
Mohammed Abdul Waheed, 37, A bank employee in Saudi Arabia and a resident of Lunger House in Hyderabad, travelled back home to see his newborn baby and returned to Riyadh on in January 2015. He was arrested upon arrival in the Riyadh airport ad for carrying sleeping pills. Apart from him, three others, including a couple (wife and husband), all from Hyderabad, were arrested in the same case.
The customs official at Riyadh airport found that Mohammed Abdul Waheed was carrying some sleeping pills and arrested him. He pleaded that he was not aware of the contents of the parcel, which was given to him by a friend’s friend prior to his departure from Hyderabad.
The police arrested his friend, Moiz Khan, a driver, who had asked Mohammed Abdul Waheed to carry the parcel when he reached the airport.
After questioning, Moiz Khan told investigation authorities in Saudi Arabia that his friend, Shaikh Bader, had requested him to bring some medicine. Accordingly, Bader’s brother handed over the parcel that contained sleeping pills to Abdul Waheed’s father in Hyderabad.
Bader told investigation authorities that his wife, Hajira Begum, was suffering from some ailment and that she was needed to use the pills. Since it was expensive in Saudi Arabia, he arranged to bring them from Hyderabad. Upon further investigation by the authorities, it was found that Hajira Begum was not using any such medicine in the past.
The couple Shaikh Bader and Hajira Begum pleaded that they were not aware that importing this medicine is prohibited in Saudi Arabia and did not intend to sell it.
The court found all four guilty.
Abdul Waheed was sentenced to eight years, 800 lashes, one lakh Riyal penalty, and to be deported after completing their imprisonment.
Shaikh Bader and his wife Hajira Begum were sentenced to five years each, 500 lashes and penalty of one lakh Riyals, and to be deported after completing their imprisonment.
Moiz Khan was sentenced to two and a half years and 300 lashes, and to be deported after completing their imprisonment.
Saudi Arabia King Salman pardoned prisoners periodically on humanitarian grounds as Kings Amnesty (Affu Al Malki).
Apart from Shaikh Bader, all three were released from the prison before completing their full imprisonment term, by Kings Amnesty. Abdul Waheed who had been released from jail recently left for Hyderabad with the support of a popular social worker, Shihab Kottukad.
Under the Saudi law, importing a considerable amount of medications into the kingdom has to be accompanied by documents such as recent medical report issued by the patient’s medical care provider that clearly states the personal information of the patient, medical diagnosis treatment plan, medical recommendations and generic name of the prescription drugs, dosage and dosage form.
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