Thanks to a father's efforts, an Indian couple was finally able to return home on Wednesday, more than 20-months after they were sentenced to 10-year jail by a court in Qatar on drug trafficking charges.
On July 6, 2019, Mohammad Shareeq and his wife Oniba Kauser Shakeel Ahmed were arrested at Doha's Hamad International Airport by Qatar's drug enforcement agencies.
The couple was cheated by drug traffickers on the pretext of a honeymoon package in India.
The traffickers, after gaining the couple's confidence, had given them a bag containing contraband (drugs), telling them that it contained tobacco.
The Qatar authorities recovered 4.1 kg of Hashish from the couple's luggage.
Mohammad Shareeq and Oniba Kauser Shakeel Ahmed were put to trial in Qatar by the prosecution agencies. The Supreme Judiciary Council of Qatar had sentenced both of them to serve 10 years in jail and a fine of 300 thousands Riyal individually.
Oniba Kauser's father, Shakeel Ahmed Qureshi, raised the matter at various forums including Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
Mr Qureshi claimed that his daughter and son-in-law were deceived by a lady named Tabassum Riyaz Qureshi (aunt of Mohammad Shareeq Qureshi) and her associate Nizam Kara. In the garb of a honeymoon package, Mohammaed Shareeq Qureshi and Oniba Qureshi were sent to Qatar. The contraband was concealed in their luggage bags provided by Tabussum and Nizam Kara.
Shakeel Ahmed Qureshi had provided relevant documents and a compact disc containing the audio recordings between Mohammad Shareeq Qureshi and Tabussum, along with the complaint.
A detailed enquiry was initiated by anti-narcotics department into the allegations levelled by Shakeel Ahmed Qureshi.
Later, the authorities found that a well-organized drug trafficking syndicate was being run by Nizam Kara, involving Tabussum and others.
A close surveillance was mounted against these drug syndicate members by the narcotics bureau.
On February 26 last year, Narcotics Control Bureau intercepted one consignment of 1.474 kg of Charas of this syndicate in Chandigarh and arrested four persons namely Ved Ram, Maheshwar, Shahnawaz Gulam Choratwala and Shabbana.
After investigation, the Narcotics Bureau was established that couple had no knowledge regarding possession of drugs in the bag recovered from them.
Accordingly, the narcotics department approached the foreign ministry for co-ordinating with the concerned authorities in Qatar and pursuing the matter regarding their innocence in the present case.
The relevant documents, voice clippings and evidences were shared with Indian embassy in Qatar through diplomatic channels and the matter was pursued with the Qatar authorities.
Indian authorities at Qatar had shared evidence with Qatar authorities and on March 29, the local appeal court of Qatar ordered the acquittal of Mohammad Shareeq and Oniba Kauser Shakeel Ahmed.
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