Aden (South24 Center)

---

The Specialized Criminal Court in Hadramout Governorate on Wednesday (October 22) issued a death sentence against six Iranian nationals after convicting them of smuggling nearly three tons of hashish and crystal meth (methamphetamine) from Iran into Yemeni waters.

According to an official statement issued by Yemen’s Ministry of Justice, the court ruled to execute the six convicts and ordered the confiscation of the seized items and the destruction of the narcotics under the supervision of the Public Prosecution.

Judicial authorities in Hadramout affirmed that the verdict comes within ongoing efforts to combat transnational organized crime and to preserve security and stability.

This ruling comes amid a growing number of drug seizures in South Yemen. Earlier this week, Southern forces in Lahj announced the seizure of more than one million narcotic pills of the “Pregabalin” type inside a transport truck in Al-Madhariba and Ras Al-Ara District.

Additionally, the Coast Guard, in coordination with the Saudi Naval Forces under the Combined Task Force (CTF-150) and the Pakistani Navy, intercepted a vessel in the Arabian Sea carrying approximately 2,056 kilograms of crystal meth, arresting its crew composed of Iranians and Pakistanis.

A previous report by South24 Center, published in September, shed light on an unprecedented increase in drug trafficking and manufacturing inside Yemen, amid documented suspicions of Houthi involvement in managing production and distribution networks similar to those established in Syria and Lebanon.