Egypt sentences TV presenter, 11 others to death over drug trafficking

An Egyptian court has sentenced TV presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others to death for drug trafficking and manufacturing. According to the South China Morning Post, Khalifa, 39, is known for her programme Mission Impossible, which dealt with security and crime issues. The court found them guilty of forming an organised criminal gang specialising in procuring materials used in manufacturing narcotics with the intent to traffic them.

The defendants were also charged with possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition. Authorities reportedly seized over 750kg of narcotics and raw materials, and found two flats used as laboratories. The verdict was issued after the court consulted Egypt's Grand Mufti, and is subject to appeal.

In addition to the death sentences, nine defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, and seven others were acquitted, out of a total of 28 defendants in the case, as per the Gulf News.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, South China Morning Post, Gulf News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.