A Doha court has sentenced a GCC national for 15 years in jail for illicit drug possession and trading, Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday.
The Doha Criminal Court also sentenced two accomplices, both GCC men, to six months in jail on similar charges. The first defendant was fined QR400,000 while the accomplices were fined QR10,000 each.
Earlier, the Drug Prevention Department had received information that the first defendant was distributing hashish. Accordingly, an undercover officer was instructed to approach him to buy the drug for QR500. Both parties agreed to meet in Abu Hamour, where the delivery process took place under the watch of police patrols parked at a safe distance. Then, the police vehicle followed the vehicle of the first defendant, who was accompanied by his accomplices, to his house.
When he got into his house, police forces surprised him and searched the house to find the illicit drug hidden on the roof of his house alongside money collected from the illicit trade.
It was later discovered that the two other defendants were only buying drugs for their personal use, the daily added.

Lankan sentenced to 6 months in jail
A court has sentenced a Sri Lankan expatriate man to six months in jail for stealing a wallet from the car of a Qatari man.
Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday that the Doha Criminal Court also ordered his deportation upon completing his sentence.
Investigations revealed that the defendant and the victim used to work in the same company. The victim had installed a surveillance camera in his car and one day he suspected that a worker had attempted to open the car and steal things, but the camera did not reveal his face clearly.
The Qatari then asked the security personnel to watch carefully the defendant and his actions. He also installed a better camera in the car with the capability to capture any movement in the car. On the day of incident, the camera captured the defendant and the security personnel were also able to see him in action.

Mercedes-Benz E Class, CLS 2014 models recalled
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled (NBK) Automobiles, has announced the recall of Mercedes-Benz E Class and CLS 2014 models over a possible loose engine rubber strip.
The MEC said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicles’ defects and repair them.
The MEC will co-ordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
The MEC has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department.