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 accused of manufacturing synthetic drugs with the intent to traffic them by importing materials from abroad. Authorities reportedly seized over 750kg of narcotics and raw materials, and found two flats used as laboratories, as well as unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The court also sentenced nine defendants to life imprisonment and acquitted seven others, with a total of 28 defendants in the case.

The verdict came after the court consulted Egypt's Grand Mufti for his religious opinion, a procedure required by Egyptian law in capital cases. The verdict is subject to appeal. Khalifa also owns a plastic surgery clinic and a production company that specialises in organising parties and events, according to the South China Morning Post.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch, South China Morning Post, Gulf News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.