AMED - The verdict for the accused, who defended himself with the words 'I wanted to give away the marijuana' in Diyarbakır, is final.
A physically disabled defendant who was caught with 503.6 grammes of marijuana powder at Diyarbakır Airport and claimed "I wanted to give it to a friend" was sentenced by the court to 8 years and 4 months in prison and a fine of 16,600 liras.
Mehmet B., who has a walking disability, went to Diyarbakır Airport at 21:00 on 18 December 2023 to board a flight to Istanbul. During a security check, 503.6 grammes of marijuana powder were found wrapped in two pieces around his right and left leg.
The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against the released defendant Mehmet B. for "manufacturing and trafficking narcotics or stimulants"," which was accepted by the 8th High Criminal Court.
The indictment states that the tests carried out at Selahaddin Eyyubi State Hospital confirmed that the defendant had not taken any drugs.
The defendant has denied the allegations
At the hearing on 8 May at the 8th High Criminal Court of Diyarbakır, the defendant Mehmet B. and his lawyer were present.
In his defence, Mehmet B. stated:
"My friend in Istanbul had got me a job in a hotel. I wanted to work as a telephone operator. I wanted to bring him drugs as a present. He took drugs. That’s why I wanted to give him a present. I do not often take drugs; I am disabled. I firmly deny the allegations. I request my acquittal."
In his concluding statement, the public prosecutor recommended that the defendant be punished for the offence of which he was accused.
The court ruled that Mehmet B. had committed the crime of "manufacturing and trafficking narcotics or stimulants" and sentenced him to 10 years in prison in accordance with Article 188/3 of the Turkish Criminal Code (TCK), taking into account the nature of the offence, the importance and value of the object of the crime and the quantity of drugs seized.
