A MAN accused of smuggling drugs into Bahrain and selling them for thousands of dinars was yesterday jailed for 15 years.

The Bahraini was convicted of smuggling, selling and using heroin and hashish by the High Criminal Court, which also fined him BD10,000.

His Bahraini co-defendant, who was convicted of using hashish, was also jailed for one year and fined BD500.

The smuggler was arrested after the drug squad arranged two undercover police sting operations, in February.

They received information from police informants that the man smuggled drugs into Bahrain from Saudi Arabia with the intent to sell them on the black market.

Police arranged a buy with him after receiving a tip-off that he arrived in Bahrain via the King Fahad Causeway.

A police source met him, where he paid BD3,300 for 10 capsules of heroin, according to court documents.

The defendant then attempted to convince the source to buy hashish as well but the source refused saying he did not use the drug.

However, he told the defendant a friend was interested in buying hashish.

An undercover police officer, who acted as the source's friend, later contacted the defendant and arranged a deal, said court documents.

He then met the defendant in the car park of a shopping mall, where he paid BD1,800 for a joint of hashish.

Police were on hand and swooped to arrested the smuggler along with his co-defendant, who was present with him in his car. A search of the smuggler's car uncovered another piece of hashish.