Parcel trouble again: Malayali expat narrowly escapes Saudi punishments before boarding flight

It’s just been a few days since Onmanorama reported how Malappuram native Mustafa Pambodan, who travelled to Saudi Arabia last year for umrah, was jailed after banned medicines were found in his luggage. The medicines were part of a packet Mustafa was carrying for a friend, like many Malayalis travelling to the Middle East do as a favour. Kannur native Midhilaj could have landed up in a similar or worse fate, if his family hadn’t been careful. Here's what happened: 

The suspicious phone calls
Midhilaj's neighbour, Jisin, gave a package to him on Wednesday (July 30) night to be handed to Vaheem, the former’s colleague in Saudi Arabia. Jisin had said that the package contained chips, masala peanuts and pickles. When Vaheem constantly gave Midhilaj phone calls, reminding him of the package, Midhilaj’s father, T Ahmed, grew suspicious. The family also noticed that the pickle jar wasn’t sealed properly. Ahmed urged Midhilaj to open the packets and check them. Midhilaj transferred the pickle to another jar to inspect it. That’s when the family discovered drugs sealed in tiny plastic covers, immersed in the pickle.

What the parcel contained
Midhilaj’s family immediately alerted the police, and they found that the packet contained 3.40 grams of hashish oil and 0.260 grams of MDMA. Three youngsters have been arrested in this case - Chakkarakkal Kulam Bazar natives KP Arshad (31), KK Sreelal (24) and Midhilaj's neighbour P Jisin (26). The Kannur Judicial First Class Magistrate Court granted the accused bail. Ahmed says that his son would have landed in serious trouble had the drugs been discovered in his baggage in Saudi Arabia. 

Saudi Arabia’s punishment for smuggling
The most severe form of punishment given to those smuggling narcotics to Saudi Arabia is death, according to the Saudi Government’s website. At the same time, the law differentiates between people who deal in drugs for the first time and repeat offenders. However, first-time offenders can also be punished with a financial fine, lashing and imprisonment.

What not to pack for Saudi Arabia
Here are the items that should not be included in your luggage while travelling to Saudi Arabia. Make sure that you check the latest regulations on the same with the Saudi embassy or consulate before travelling to the country. You can also find more details here.