Godhra civic member gets 25 years jail term in Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking

Godhra Municipality member Mohammad Hanif Saeed Qalandar and three members of a Godhra family were arrested with a huge quantity of prohibited narcotic drugs at Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia six months ago.

After six months, the Sharia court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced Mohammad Qalandar to 25 years in prison and imposed a fine of 1,00,000 riyals, which is approximately ₹23 lakh.

Qalandar had contested the municipal elections from Owaisi’s party, AIMIM, and won with the highest number of votes to become a municipal member. In July 2024, he was detained by Jeddah Airport authorities with a large quantity of banned narcotic substances. Along with him, a couple and a woman from the Hayat family of Godhra were also arrested with a similar quantity of drugs and handed over to Saudi authorities.  

Following judicial proceedings in Saudi Arabia’s highest Sharia court, the court delivered a harsh verdict, sentencing Mohammad Hanif Qalandar to 25 years in prison and imposing a fine of 1,00,000 riyals. However, the three members of the Hayat family from Godhra were acquitted and released.