Kuwaiti acquitted of drug peddling, sent for rehab

A Kuwaiti citizen, aged 53, has been acquitted of drug trafficking charges by the Criminal Court. However, he was convicted of possessing narcotics for personal consumption and sentenced to two years in a rehabilitation center. This decision aligns with Kuwait's revised Anti-Narcotics Law, which emphasizes treatment and rehabilitation for drug addicts rather than incarceration.

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The warrant of the Public Prosecution was invalid due to the inconclusive investigations, and that there was no intent to engage in drug trafficking.

The court's ruling was based on insufficient evidence to prove the trafficking charge. The defense attorney argued that the Public Prosecution's warrant was invalid due to inconclusive investigations, and crucially, that there was no intent to traffic drugs. The court noted that the defendant was not caught during a transaction, and no evidence of trafficking, such as cash or technical data, was found. The origin of the seized substances also remained undetermined, creating reasonable doubt in favor of the defendant regarding the trafficking accusation.

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the presented evidence did not reach the level of certainty required to prove the trafficking charge.

Despite the acquittal on trafficking, the court found sufficient evidence, including the defendant's confession, forensic reports, and the arresting officer's testimony, to establish possession for personal use. Tests confirmed the presence of narcotics and psychotropic substances in his urine. The man admitted to using heroin, methamphetamine, and synthetic cannabinoids, and acknowledged relapsing after periods of abstinence. Consequently, the court mandated his two-year rehabilitation, requiring periodic reports on his condition and ordering the confiscation of all related substances and paraphernalia.

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the defendant possessed the narcotics for personal use based on his confession, forensic reports and testimony of the arresting officer.