Bahrain's Cassation Court has upheld four-year prison sentences for two Syrian sisters involved in a sophisticated money laundering scheme, according to full reports from local news outlets. The sisters were definitively convicted for their key role in laundering more than BD21,800, a significant sum derived from illicit financial activities. This landmark ruling by Bahrain's Cassation Court solidifies the lower court's decision, bringing a definitive conclusion to the sisters' legal appeals. The case, which has drawn considerable attention, centered on a series of complex financial transactions directly linked to fraudulent activities that spanned multiple jurisdictions.
Details of the Fraudulent Scheme
The elaborate fraudulent scheme at the heart of the case involved the illicit purchase of a substantial number of electronic devices. Specifically, 77 electronic devices, valued at more than BD31,000, were acquired from a retailer using stolen credit card information. The two women implicated in the case played a key role by assisting the primary fraudster, who operated from overseas, by receiving these numerous devices. These purchases were exclusively conducted through online transactions, leveraging the stolen financial data. Court documents precisely detailed that a total of BD31,081 worth of devices was acquired from the retailer as part of the meticulously planned operation. This precise figure shows the scale of the fraudulent acquisitions.
The illicit activity began to unravel and ultimately came to light after a payment company, noting unusual patterns, alerted the store to a series of suspicious transactions. These transactions specifically pertained to the large-scale sale of 77 devices, collectively exceeding a value of BD31,000, raising immediate red flags. Following this alert, the retailer’s security office initiated its own investigation and subsequently contacted the National Centre for Financial Intelligence. The security office’s report noted a distinct and alarming pattern of suspicious mobile phone purchases that warranted immediate attention. At the time of their arrest, a significant portion of the illicit gains had already been moved. The women had reportedly transferred BD21,846.639 to Jordan, which represented proceeds derived from the sale of 71 of the acquired gadgets, indicating a rapid attempt to move the laundered funds.
Legal Proceedings and Outcomes
In its final judgment, Bahrain's Cassation Court not only affirmed the four-year prison sentences but also upheld the confiscation of BD21,847 from the sisters' assets, ensuring that the proceeds of the crime would not be retained. Additionally, the court upheld the deportation of the two women following the completion of their respective prison sentences, a standard measure for foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes. This full decision by the Cassation Court effectively concluded the appeals process for the sisters, who had vigorously pursued legal recourse. They had previously lodged appeals at both the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court and the Cassation Court itself, but ultimately lost both cases, with the higher courts consistently affirming the initial convictions and sentences.
Last year, a significant related development occurred when a 26-year-old Jordanian man, identified as a key figure in the broader scheme, received a six-year prison sentence in absentia from the High Criminal Court. The court also imposed a substantial financial penalty on the man, fining him BD100,000. He was found guilty of stealing funds from bank accounts located in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, indicating the transnational nature of the criminal enterprise. These illicit activities, which formed the basis of the fraud, occurred between September and December 2024, according to detailed court records.
Investigation and Arrest
The intricate plot began with the arrival of the two Syrian sisters in Bahrain. They traveled to the Kingdom specifically on tourist visas with the explicit purpose of assisting an overseas scammer who was based in Jordan. The women were subsequently convicted of facilitating the Jordanian man’s fraudulent scheme, playing an indispensable role in its execution within Bahrain. They were found guilty of aiding and abetting their co-defendant by actively purchasing Bahraini phone numbers, providing their personal details, and supplying a local address key for the delivery of the fraudulently obtained electronic devices. Their complicity was a critical component of the scam's operational logistics.
The entire plot ultimately unraveled when the store’s payment service provider, Eazy Pay, received a key letter from authorities in Saudi Arabia concerning a series of scam incidents that bore striking similarities to the transactions under investigation in Bahrain. This external alert provided key intelligence that helped connect the dots and expose the full extent of the fraudulent operation, leading directly to the apprehension and conviction of the Syrian sisters.
