KUWAIT CITY, Feb 10: In a stern ruling underscoring Kuwait’s zero-tolerance stance on narcotics crimes, the Court of Appeal, headed by Judge Dr. Fahd Bu Salib, ordered the execution of five Iranian expatriates convicted of smuggling and trafficking drugs into the country.

Court records show that the defendants admitted to the charges, telling the court they were drug addicts who had departed Iran by boat after loading quantities of narcotics onboard. They said the shipment was destined for delivery to a Kuwaiti citizen, based on coordinates agreed upon in advance.

According to their confessions, the suspects set sail toward Kuwait but were intercepted moments after entering Kuwaiti territorial waters, when a Coast Guard patrol ordered them to stop. The vessel was seized, and the defendants were arrested along with the drugs.

The ruling brings to a close one of the most serious drug trafficking cases heard this year, highlighting the judiciary’s firm approach toward crimes that threaten public safety and national security.